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L4-RESEARCH DESIGN & Data Collection

Research design and data collection

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12 views17 pages

L4-RESEARCH DESIGN & Data Collection

Research design and data collection

Uploaded by

Adisu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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RESEARCH DESIGN & Data

Collection
Research Design
• The formidable problem that follows the task of defining the
research problem is the preparation of the design of the research
project, popularly known as the “research design”.
• Decisions regarding what, where, when, how much, by what means
concerning an inquiry or a research study constitute a research
design.
• A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection
and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to
the research purpose with economy in procedure.
• In fact, the research design is the conceptual structure within which
research is conducted; it constitutes the blueprint for the collection,
measurement and analysis of data.
• As such the design includes an outline of what the researcher will
do from writing the hypothesis and its operational implications to the
final analysis of data.
Cnd…
• Research design is needed because it facilitates the
smooth sailing of the various research operations,
thereby making research as efficient as possible yielding
maximal information with minimal expenditure of effort,
time and money.
• Research design stands for advance planning of the
methods to be adopted for collecting the relevant data
and the techniques to be used in their analysis, keeping
in view the objective of the research and the availability
of staff, time and money.
• Preparation of the research design should be done with
great care as any error in it may upset the entire project.
• Research design, in fact, has a great bearing on the
reliability of the results arrived at and as such constitutes
the firm foundation of the entire edifice of the research
work.
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• More explicitly, the design decisions happen to be in
respect of:
(i) What is the study about?
(ii) Why is the study being made?
(iii) Where will the study be carried out?
(iv) What type of data is required?
(v) Where can the required data be found?
(vi) What periods of time will the study include?
(vii) What will be the sample design?
(viii) What techniques of data collection will be used?
(ix) How will the data be analyzed?
(x) In what style will the report be prepared?
Methods of Data Collection
• The task of data collection begins after a research problem has
been defined and research design/plan chalked out.
• While deciding about the method of data collection to be used for
the study, the researcher should keep in mind two types of data viz.,
primary and secondary.
• The primary data are those which are collected afresh and for the
first time, and thus happen to be original in character.
• The secondary data, on the other hand, are those which have
already been collected by someone else and which have already
been passed through the statistical process.
• The researcher would have to decide which sort of data he would
be using (thus collecting) for his study and accordingly he will have
to select one or the other method of data collection.
• The methods of collecting primary and secondary data differ since
primary data are to be originally collected, while in case of
secondary data the nature of data collection work is merely that of
compilation.
COLLECTION OF PRIMARY DATA
• We collect primary data during the course of
doing experiments in an experimental research
but,
• In case we do research of the descriptive type
and perform surveys, whether sample surveys or
census surveys, then we can obtain primary
data either through observation or through direct
communication with respondents in one form or
another or through personal interviews.
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I) An experiment refers to an investigation in
which a factor or variable under test is isolated
and its effect(s) measured.
– In an experiment the investigator measures the
effects of an experiment which he conducts
intentionally.
II) Survey refers to the method of securing
information concerning a phenomena under
study from all or a selected number of
respondents of the concerned universe.
__ In a survey, the investigator examines those
phenomena which exist in the universe independent
of his action.
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• that there are several methods of
collecting primary data, particularly in
surveys and descriptive researches.
Important ones are:
(i) observation method,
(ii) interview method,
(iii) through questionnaires,
(iv) through schedules, and
ETC.
Observation Method
• The observation method is the most commonly used
method specially in studies relating to behavioural
sciences.
• In a way we all observe things around us, but this sort of
observation is not scientific observation.
• Observation becomes a scientific tool and the method of
data collection for the researcher, when it serves a
formulated research purpose, is systematically planned
and recorded and is subjected to checks and controls on
validity and reliability.
• Under the observation method, the information is sought
by way of investigator’s own direct observation without
asking from the respondent.
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• The main advantage of this method is that subjective
bias is eliminated, if observation is done accurately.
• Secondly, the information obtained under this method
relates to what is currently happening; it is not
complicated by either the past behaviour or future
intentions or attitudes.
• Thirdly, this method is independent of respondents’
willingness to respond and as such is relatively less
demanding of active cooperation on the part of
respondents as happens to be the case in the interview
or the questionnaire method.
• This method is particularly suitable in studies which deal
with subjects (i.e., respondents) who are not capable of
giving verbal reports of their feelings for one reason or
the other
cnd…
• Observation method has various limitations.
– Firstly, it is an expensive method.
– Secondly, the information provided by this method is
very limited.
– Thirdly, sometimes unforeseen factors may interfere
with the observational task. At times, the fact that
some people are rarely accessible to direct
observation creates obstacle for this method to collect
data effectively.
Cnd…
• While using this method, the researcher should keep in mind things
like:
– What should be observed?
– How the observations should be recorded?
– Or how the accuracy of observation can be ensured?

• In case the observation is characterised by a careful definition of


the units to be observed, the style of recording the observed
information, standardised conditions of observation and the
selection of pertinent data of observation, then the observation is
called as structured observation. But
• when observation is to take place without these characteristics to be
thought of in advance, the same is termed as unstructured
observation.
Interview Method
• The interview method of collecting data involves
presentation of oral-verbal stimuli and reply in terms of
oral-verbal responses.
• This method can be used through personal interviews
and, if possible, through telephone interviews.
(a) Personal interviews: Personal interview method
requires a person known as the interviewer asking
questions generally in a face-to-face contact to the other
person or persons.
(b) Telephone interviews: This method of collecting
information consists in contacting respondents on
telephone itself.
COLLECTION OF DATA
THROUGH QUESTIONNAIRES
• This method of data collection is quite popular,
particularly in case of big enquiries.
• It is being adopted by private individuals,
research workers, private and public
organisations and even by governments.
• In this method a questionnaire is sent (usually by
post) to the persons concerned with a request to
answer the questions and return the
questionnaire.
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• A questionnaire consists of a number of
questions printed or typed in a definite order on
a form or set of forms.
• The questionnaire is mailed to respondents who
are expected to read and understand the
questions and write down the reply in the space
meant for the purpose in the questionnaire itself.
• The respondents have to answer the questions
on their own.
COLLECTION OF DATA
THROUGH SCHEDULES
• This method of data collection is very much like the collection of
data through questionnaire, with little difference which lies in the fact
that schedules (proforma containing a set of questions) are being
filled in by the enumerators who are specially appointed for the
purpose.
• These enumerators along with schedules, go to respondents, put to
them the questions from the proforma in the order the questions are
listed and record the replies in the space meant for the same in the
proforma.
• In certain situations, schedules may be handed over to respondents
and enumerators may help them in recording their answers to
various questions in the said schedules.
• Enumerators explain the aims and objects of the investigation and
also remove the difficulties which any respondent may feel in
understanding the implications of a particular question or the
definition or concept of difficult terms.
Cnd…
• The main difference between Questionaire and
Schedule
• The questionnaire is generally sent through mail
to informants to be answered as specified in a
covering letter, but otherwise without further
assistance from the sender.
• The schedule is generally filled out by the
research worker or the enumerator, who can
interpret questions when necessary.

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