5/24/2021 Data-collecting instruments

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Data-collecting instruments This article is from the online course:

An overview of instruments to collect qualitative or quantitative data Research for Construction

for analysis. Management
© Coventry University. CC BY-NC 4.0

Data collection is an important step in the research process. The instrument

you choose to collect the data will depend on the type of data you plan on
collecting (qualitative or quantitative) and how you plan to collect it. Created by

A number of common data-collecting instruments are used in construction

research:

Questionnaires
Interviews
Observations
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Let’s look at three of the most used data-collecting instruments in more
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creativity
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Questionnaires This article is part of our course: Research for
Construction Management
Returning to work after
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The questionnaire is a tool designed for the collection of quantitative data,
expect
and is widely used in construction research as it is a good research
instrument for collecting standardised data and making generalisations. Choosing a degree and
Questionnaires can provide quick responses but adequate care must be Learn more aboutpreparing
this See forother
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– the from
taken when developing questionnaires, to ensure you don’t influence the course. basics this course.
response you receive. The design of your questionnaire should reflect your
research aims and objectives.

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5/24/2021 Data-collecting instruments

Interviews are a tool mainly for the collection of qualitative data and are Create an account to receive our newsletter,
popular as a data-collection tool because of their flexibility. course recommendations and promotions.

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According to Silverman (1997: 98), interviews are:

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Interviews require specialised skills from the interviewer, who will need to
negotiate a good partnership with the respondent to ensure a highly
detailed and valid set of qualitative data is collected and transcribed
effectively.

Jones (1985: 46) explains the reason behind conducting an interview:

In order to understand other persons’ constructions of reality, we would

do well to ask them […] and to ask them in such a way that they can tell
us in their terms […] and in a depth which addresses the rich context
that is the substance of their meanings.

Hi there! We hope you're enjoying our article: Data-

There are different types of interview: collecting instruments
This article is part of our course: Research for
Individual, face-to-face verbal interchange Construction Management

Face-to-face group interviews (focus groups)

Telephone surveys

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5/24/2021 Data-collecting instruments

This content is taken from

Coventry University online course, View
Course
Research for Construction
Management

Interviews can be:

Conducted as a one-time occurrence

Conducted as multiple, longer sessions
Structured, semi-structured, unstructured

Observation
Observation is a systematic data-collecting technique that involves
watching individuals in their natural environment or in a naturally occurring
situation.

The processes under observation are normal and not contrived. They can
range from individual cases, through to groups and whole communities. They
provide highly detailed information about natural processes. The data
collection is laborious and time-consuming and may have to be repeated to
ensure reliability. However, observation schedules based on a set of
expectations can make data collection easier.

The level of observer participation can vary from wholly participant to non-
participant. The non-participant observer has limited interaction with the
people being observed.

Observers can collect data through field notes, video or audio recording,
which can be analysed using qualitative analytical tools. If you code your
observations to exact numerical data, it can be analysed using a quantitative
approach.

One of the main benefits of using a wholly or partial participant observation

is that the level of immersion and prolonged involvement with participants Hi there! We hope you're enjoying our article: Data-
can lead to a good rapport, thereby encouraging participants to speak up collecting instruments
freely. This helps with the rich details of the collected data. This article is part of our course: Research for
Construction Management

References
Jones, S. (1985) ‘Depth Interviewing’. Applied Qualitative Research. Aldershot, UK: Gower Learn more about this See other articles from
course. this course.

Silverman, D. (1997) Qualitative Research: Theory, Method and Practice. London: Sage.

© Coventry University. CC BY-NC 4.0

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