Lesson 10 DATA COLLECTION METHODS

FOR QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

DATA COLLECTION METHODS
(Jovancic, 2019)

• Quantitative data is everything about

DATA COLLECTION figures and numbers.
-A methodical process of gathering and
analyzing specific information to proffer Discrete and Continuous are the two
solutions to relevant questions and evaluate the major categories of quantitative data
results.
online data collection method that
-focuses on finding out all there is to a particular helps in gathering numerical data is a
subject matter. proven method of collecting
quantitative data.
• Data analysis is the collecting and
organizing of data so a researcher can
1. CLOSED-ENDED SURVEY
conclude.
Instrument/ Tool Used: Structured
• Data analysis allows one to answer Questionnaires
questions, solve problems, and derive (Checklist, Rating Scales)
important information.
The survey is the process of
Importance questioning a selected sample of
of individuals to obtain data about
Data Collection: something or about the interest of the
1. Integrity of the Research: study.
2. Reduce the likelihood of errors:
3. Decision Making: a. Closed-ended survey:
4. Save Cost and Time: Are based on questions that
give respondents predefined answer
options to opt for. There are two main
RESEARCH INSTRUMENT types of closed-ended surveys – those
(Data Collection Tool) based on categorical and those based
on interval/ratio questions.
Data collection tools refer to the Categorical survey questions can be further
devices/instruments used to collect data, classified into dichotomous (‘yes/no’),
such as a paper questionnaire or
computer-assisted interviewing system. Interval/ratio questions, on the other hand, can
consist of rating-scale, Likert-scale, or matrix
questions

b. STRUCTURED OBSERVATION :
(Instrument/ Tool Used: Observation Checklist/
Observation Guide)
In this method, researchers collect
quantitative data through systematic
observations by using techniques like counting Personal Documents: In contrast to public
the number of people present at a specific event documents, this type of document review deals
at a particular time and a particular venue or with individual personal accounts of
number of people attending the event in a individuals’ actions, behavior, health,
designated place. physique, etc.
Physical Evidence: Physical evidence or
physical documents deal with previous
Naturalistic observation: is used to collect
achievements of an individual or of an
both types of data; qualitative and quantitative.
organization in terms of monetary and scalable
Structured observation: In this type of growth.
observation method, the researcher has to
make careful observations of one or more
specific behaviors in a more comprehensive or
structured setting compared to naturalistic or
participant observation.

c. EXPERIMENTS:
By testing the effects of a variable
between two or more groups, experiments help
researchers in finding out the differences in
the observed groups. This is the most
appropriate method for most scientific research
because it strictly adheres to the scientific
method.

d. DOCUMENT REVIEW:
Is a process used to collect data after
reviewing the existing documents. It is an
efficient and effective way of gathering data as
documents are manageable and are the
DATA COLLECTION METHODS FOR
practical resource to get qualified data from
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
the past.
(Jovancic, 2019)
Qualitative data
Three primary document types are being
analyzed for collecting supporting quantitative  descriptive in nature rather than
research data numerical.

 usually not easily measurable as
Public Records: Under this document review, quantitative and can be gained through
official, ongoing records of an organization observation or open-ended survey or
are analyzed for further research. interview questions.
  is most likely to provide answers to is a type of interview in which the interviewer
questions such as “why?” and “how?” asks only a few predetermined questions while
the rest of the questions are not planned in
1. OPEN-ENDED SURVEY : advance.
(Instrument/ Tool Used: Unstructured/ Open-
ended Questionnaires)
Parts of an Interview Protocol
allow the respondents much more (Creswell, 2007)
freedom and flexibility when providing their
answers. Basic Information about the Interview. -It
includes the time and date of the interview,
where the interview takes place, and who the
2. INTERVIEW: participants to be interviewed are.

Instrument/ Tool Used: Interview Schedule, Introduction - This provides instructions to

Interview Guide the interviewer which will serve as his/her
guide in conducting the session. It is a
(Open-ended questions) prerequisite that the interviewer introduce
himself/herself including the objectives of the
Interviews are conversations that are
research.
designed to obtain specific kinds of information.
One-on-one (or face-to-face) interviews are one
of the most common types of data collection
methods in qualitative research.

Opening Question. -This is about getting to

know participants so they will feel at ease.
Questions related to their work or activities are
good opening questions. Very personal questions
Types of Interviews:
must be avoided.
Content Questions - These are sub-questions
1. Structured Interview: based on the central phenomenon being studied.
2. Unstructured Interview:
. Closing Instructions -Thank the interviewee
3. Semi-structured Interview:
for his/her time; Further instructions

Structured Interview:
3. FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD)
is a type of interview in which the interviewer
Another method of data collection
asks a particular set of predetermined questions.
which is more or less like an interview but
Unstructured Interview: differs in the size of participants and in the
manner of conduct is Focused Group
is a type of interview in which the interviewer
Discussion—or simply called as focus group.
asks questions that are not prepared in advance.
The goal of a focus group is not just to share
Semi-structured Interview:
first-hand experiences from the respondents
4. DIRECT OBSERVATION (Unstructured
Observation)
(Instrument/ Tool Used: Observation Guide)
Direct observation is one of the most
passive qualitative data collection methods.
Here, the data collector takes a participatory
stance, observing the setting in which the
subjects of their observation are while taking
down notes, video/audio recordings, photos, and
so on.