GERALDINE V.

MONTOJO MAY, 2021

Methods of Data Collection for

Qualitative Research

PRACTICAL
RESEARCH 1
Today's Agenda
In this lesson, you should be able to do the following:

Identify the different methods of data Choose an appropriate data

collection for qualitative research. collection method for a
research study.
Introduction
Have you ever tried walking in the park and then finding yourself sitting, just
observing the people around you? While carefully observing them, we notice
how they interact with other people, how they behave, and even how they talk.
These observations might be unimportant or of little value to us. Little did we
know, these observations might be important for people who study human
behavior.
In qualitative research, observations are one of the methods used to gather
data for a research study. The detailed descriptions of people’s actions,
activities, and behavior play a significant role in the study of a certain
phenomenon that the researcher is interested in, but what are the other
methods we can use to collect data for our research? How do we ensure that
we collect rich and substantial data?
Let's begin!

Ar e y o u
ready?
Qualitative Research Data Collection Methods

In qualitative research, data are often expressed in words rather than being
measured. This is because the main purpose of this research is to explore
how people understand the things that happen around them. Some of the
most common data collection methods in qualitative research are
interviews, focus group discussions, observational methods, and document
analysis.
 Interviews
The most commonly used data collection method in qualitative research is interviewing (Merriam, and Tisdell
2016). Hence, in some studies, it is considered as the only source of data. In an interview, a researcher and a
participant engage in a conversation wherein the questions focus on the topic of the research study.
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Structured
interviews
can be described as a list of pre- 1
set questions to be asked to the
interviewee. In this type of
interview, there are no follow-up
questions to the responses of 2
participants that might need
further elaboration.
Semi-structured interviews

are more open-ended compared to

structured interviews.
There are only a few pre-determined
questions prepared by the researcher
and the participants are encouraged to
elaborate on their responses to the
questions rather than skipping to the
next question.
Unstructured interviews

are exploratory and lack a predetermined set

of questions.
This is commonly used when little is known
about the phenomenon being studied. The
unstructured interview may serve as a precursor
to formulate subsequent interviews in the future
about a certain topic. In addition, this type of
interview is done casually, and most of the time
does not appear to be an interview at all; hence,
it appears to be conversational.
1
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ready?
 Dress
appropriately
Researchers must recognize the level of
formality and the context of the
interview. For example, it is advisable
for researchers to dress in smart casual
or business attire when interviewing
professional resource persons (e.g.,
CEO, government official).
 Prepare data recording
materials
Make sure that all data recording
materials are prepared prior to the date
of the interview. Some common
recording materials include pen and
paper, camera, or smartphone. It is
important to have the proper tools for
documenting the interview whether in
written or audiovisual (photo, video,
audio) forms.
Communicate with
respondents
Researchers must make sure to
maintain a clear and consistent
communication line with the
respondent. The researcher must ensure
to send out an invitation letter
explaining the topic and setting proper
expectations for the interview.
State purpose of the study

For formal interviews, it is important to

start with a general greeting followed
by a statement of the purpose of the
interview. The terms of the informed
consent must also be emphasized,
especially the provisions on
confidentiality and professionalism.
Document the interview
proper
The researcher or group of researchers
must ensure that proper documentation
is in place according to the set terms
between the researcher and the
respondent. Should media recordings
(i.e., audio or video) be allowed,
written notes must also be done.
Provide closing remarks and
acknowledgements

Summarize the interview proper by

providing closing remarks on the topic,
reviewing the answers of the
respondents, and giving proper
acknowledgements. You may also
make a restatement of the
confidentiality guarantee.
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ready?
 Focus Group Discussion

Focus group discussions require a group of people to participate in a discussion

about a certain topic. The participants most commonly have similar
characteristics depending on the researcher’s selection criterion (e.g., university
students, people with disabilities). A focus group usually has five to 10
participants for easier facilitation. Focus group discussions are useful in
generating a deeper understanding of participants’ experiences and beliefs.
 Focus Group Discussion

In contrast to interviews, focus group discussions are often conducted with a

group of people. Although this method has a similarity with interviews, it differs
in a way wherein the participants lead the discussion rather than the
facilitator. The role of the facilitator is to mainly keep the discussion alive. This
allows the participants to freely discuss their perspectives and talk about their
differences in opinions. According to Gill et al . (“and others”), the quality of a
focus group discussion can be determined by the group composition and size.
The interaction among the participants is key for a successful focus group
discussion.
 Focus Group Discussion

Focus group discussions must be avoided given the following criteria (Morgan
1998):
• The participants are not comfortable around each other and might result in not
expressing freely their opinions and feelings.
• The research topic is something the participants do not like to discuss.
• The research study requires statistical data. This is not the purpose of focus
group discussions since it provides data that provides different insights.
 Focus Group Discussion
example

Let us assume that in research entitled, “ Palarong Pinoy: An Alternative Play for
Grades 1-3 Gadget Hooked Children,” you will need to conduct palarong pinoy
first and then afterward gather the children for them to undergo focus group
discussions. In this way, the children will be able to tell their experiences in
playing palarong pinoy . The focus group discussion may elicit easy analysis of
agreements and disagreements of the participants. Hence, richer data will be
collected.
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 Observation

Observation is common in different types of

qualitative research such as case studies, action
research, and ethnographic studies. It is an
appropriate method to use to gather descriptive
information about a certain behavior or phenomenon
in their natural setting.
Observation

Observations are usually conducted where the

phenomenon of interest naturally occurs. The
data gathered from observations are often
considered as firsthand encounters of the
phenomenon rather than a secondhand account
such as that of data gathered in interviews. A
research observation must be systematic,
addresses the research question, and must be
verified using other related data.
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• Natural

Natural observations occur when the

participants of the study are observed
in their natural setting. The
participants are mostly unaware that
they are being observed. An example
of a natural observation is when a
researcher is observing the behavior of
children in an impoverished urban
community.
• Controlled

Controlled observations occur when

researchers want to observe behavior
in controlled conditions. This is usually
done in experimental laboratory
systems. An example is the observation
of the growth of gumamela seeds in a
controlled environment.
• Participant

A participant observation occurs when

the researcher has direct participation
in the activities of the group being
observed. The observed group may or
may not be aware that they are being
observed.
• Non-participant
A non-participant observation occurs
when the researcher observes the
behavior of the participants but is not
involved in their activities. There is
less interaction between the
researcher and the participants. An
example of non-participant
observation is watching the group
dynamics of students participating in
school-sponsored sports activities.
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 Document Analysis

Documents such as articles in newspapers, public records, medical records,

personal documents, pictures, and the like can be sources of data in qualitative
research. These data are easily accessible to a resourceful researcher and might
already exist prior to the research study. Documents can be accessed either
physically or online.
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• Public records
are official records of what happens in
a society. Examples of these are
records of births, deaths, census, and
marriages.
• Personal documents
refer to any narrative from a person’s
experiences, actions, and beliefs. This
can be a photo album, diaries, letters,
scrapbooks, and the like. These types
of documents are often used in case
studies where a specific person is the
topic of interest.
• Popular culture documents

are often found on the Internet,

television, film, radio, or newspaper. Its
nature is to entertain or inform the
public, and can be accessed easily.
• Visual documents

are almost similar to popular culture

documents. However, it is limited to
film, video, photography, and other
electronic media.
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1. Establishing rapport with
respondents

For interviews and surveys,

respondents must be willing to share
their information to you (Kumar 2011).
Feeling comfortable, being at ease, and
having trust towards the researcher
make respondents more honest and
focused towards the goal or purpose of
the study.
2. Clarity of questions

It is important to review the

survey/interview questions and have
them validated by a subject-matter
expert. This way, you can remove
irrelevant questions and terms and
revise incomplete questions into more
purposeful ones.
3. Appropriate choice of
respondents

Your target sample and respondents

must be relevant to your study by
having the information that you need.
In exploratory studies, you must have a
basis on why you chose a specific
sample for your study.
The mind is just like a muscle — the
more you exercise it,
the stronger it gets and the more it
can expand.
Idowu Koyenikan
• Methods of data collection for qualitative research are used when the study
requires rich and substantial data and does not require measurement.
• Interviews are the most commonly used data collection method for
qualitative research. It can be classified as structured, semi-structured, and
unstructured.
• Focus group discussions require a group of people to talk about their insights
regarding the topic of interest.
• Observations can be categorized as fully structured, naturalistic, or
participant observation.
• Documents such as public records, personal documents, popular culture
documents, and visual documents can be accessed and analyzed to be used
as sources in a research study.
Th an k Have a
great day
ahead.

yo u!