Methods of Data Collection Essay

Introduction info Collection is an classical position of any type of explore written report. Inaccurate entropy line of battle stern intrusion the results of a study and ultimately lead to invalid results. Data accretion method actings for impact evaluation vary along a continuum. At the one contain of this continuum argon quantitative methods and at the separate end of the continuum ar qualitative methods for entropy collection. Bakhtadze (201282) When you pee-pee reconciled on a offspring, refined it and specified objectives, you start considering the ways of collecting the evidence you require. The sign question that guides you is What do I need to know to do my query problem? Why do I need it? After you shed answered the question you start choosing the best ways of collecting reading. Researchers next decide how they are going to collect their empirical look data.That is they decide what method of data collection (test, questionnaires, focus root word, o bservation, interviews) they are going to use to physic everyy confine research data from their research participants. University of Wilconsin (2012)The Quantitative data collection methods, rely on random consume and structured data collection instruments that fit diverse experiences into predetermined response categories.They produce results that are lightheaded to summarize, compare, and generalize. Quantitative research is concerned with testing hypotheses derived from theory and/or creation able to estimate the size of a phenomenon of interest. Depending on the research question, participants whitethorn be randomly charge to different treatments. If this is non feasible, the researcher whitethorn collect data on participant and situational characteristics in order to statistically control for their influence on the dependent, or outcome, variable. If the intent is to generalize from the research participants to a larger population, the researcher will employ probability sampling to select participants. Typical quantitative data gathering strategies intromit* Experiments/clinical trials. * Observing and recording well-defined events (e.g., counting the number of patients waiting in emergency at specified times of the day). * Obtaining rele vant data from management assureation systems. * Administering aspects with closed-ended questions (e.g., face-to face and tele strait interviews, questionnaires etc). Wikipedia (2012) In statistics, visual modality methodological compend is the field of honor that studies the sampling of individuals from a population with a view towards making statistical inferences around the population using the consume. Polls more or less public cerebration, such(prenominal) as political beliefs, are reported in the news media in democracies.Other types of tidy sum are employ for scientific patterns. Surveys pull up stakes important information for all kinds of research fields, e.g., marketing research, psychol ogy, health professionals and sociology. A slew may focus on different motifs such as preferences (e.g., for a presidential dealdidate), behavior (smoking and drinking behavior), or factual information (e.g., income), depending on its purpose. Since survey research is always based on a sample of the population, the success of the research is dependent on the representativeness of the population of concern.Survey methodology seeks to identify rulers to the highest degree the design, collection, processing, and analysis of surveys in connection to the cost and case of survey estimates. It focuses on improving quality within cost constraints, or alternatively, reducing costs for a fixed level of quality. Survey methodology is both a scientific field and a profession. Part of the childbed of a survey methodologist is making a large set of decisions about thousands of individual features of a survey in order to improve it. The whatsoever important methodological challenges of a survey methodologist include making decisions on how to * Identify and select potential sample members.* Contact sampled individuals and collect data from those who are hard to reach (or reluctant to do). * Evaluate and test questions. * drive the mode for posing questions and collecting responses. * Train and supervise interviewers (if they are involved). * stipulate data files for accuracy and internal consistency. * Adjust survey estimates to correct for set errors. Advantages* They are relatively easy to administer. * Can be developed in less time compared with other data-collection methods. * Can be cost- exploitive. * Few experts are required to develop a survey, which may increase the reliability of the survey data. * If conducted remotely, can reduce or obviate geographical dependence. * pulmonary tuberculosisful in describing the characteristics of a large population assuming the sampling is valid. * Can be administered remotely via the Web, mobile devices, mail, e-ma il, telephone, etc. * Efficient at collecting information from a large number of respondents. * Statistical techniques can be utilize to the survey data to determine validity, reliability, and statistical significance even when analyzing eightfold variables. * Many questions can be asked about a minded(p) topic giving considerable flexibility to the analysis. * Support both between and within-subjects study designs. * A wide range of information can be smooth (e.g., attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviour). * Because they are similar, they are relatively free from several types of errors.DisadvantagesThe reliability of survey data may depend on the fol depressive disordering* Respondents motivation, honesty, memory, and ability to respond * Respondents may not be motivated to give accurate answers. * Respondents may be motivated to give answers that present themselves in a cordial light. * Respondents may not be fully aware of their reasons for any given action. * Structured surveys, particularly those with closed ended questions, may have low validity when researching affective variables. * Self-selection bias Although the individuals chosen to participate in surveys are very much randomly sampled, errors due to non-response may exist ( Adr et al. (200813) . That is, people who choose to respond on the survey may be different from those who do not respond, thus biasing the estimates.For example, polls or surveys that are conducted by calling a random sample of publicly in stock(predicate) telephone numbers will not include the responses of people with ex-directory telephone numbers, mobile (cell) phone numbers, people who are unable to answer the phone (e.g., because they normally sleep during the time of day the survey is conducted, because they are at do work, etc.), people who do not answer calls from unknown or unfamiliar telephone numbers.Likewise, such a survey will include a disproportionate number of respondents who have traditional, land- line telephone service with listed phone numbers, and people who stay home oftentimes of the day and are such(prenominal) more than likely to be available to participate in the survey (e.g., people who are unemployed, disabled, elderly, etc.). * Question design. Survey question answer- elections could lead to fainthearted data sets because at times they are relative only to a personal abstract notion concerning strength of choice. For instance the choice moderately agree may mean different things to different subjects, and to anyone rendition the data for correlation. Even yes or no answers are problematic because subjects may for instance put no if the choice only once is not available.QuestionnairesWikipedia (2012)A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions and other prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. Although they are often designed for statistical analysis of the responses, this is not always the case. The que stionnaire was invented by Sir Francis Galton. Questionnaires have advantages over some other types of surveys in that they are cheap, do not require as much effort from the questioner as verbal or telephone surveys, and often have standardized answers that make it simple to compile data. However, such standardized answers may frustrate users. Questionnaires are also sharply limited by the fact that respondents must be able to read the questions and respond to them. Thus, for some demographic stems conducting a survey by questionnaire may not be practical. As a type of survey, questionnaires also have many of the uniform problems relating to question construction and wording that exist in other types of opinion polls.Basic rules for questionnaire item construction* Use statements which are interpreted in the same way by members of different subpopulations of the population of interest. * Use statements where persons that have different opinions or traits will give different answer s. * Think of having an consecrate answer category after a list of possible answers. * Use only one aspect of the construct you are interested in per item. * Use positive statements and avoid negatives or double negatives. * Do not make assumptions about the respondent.* Use clear and comprehensible wording, easily intelligible for all educational levels * Use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. * Avoid items that contain more than one question per item (e.g. Do you like strawberries and potatoes?). Questionnaire administration modes main(prenominal) modes of questionnaire administration are * Face-to-face questionnaire administration, where an interviewer presents the items orally. * Paper-and-pencil questionnaire administration, where the items are presented on paper. * Computerized questionnaire administration, where the items are presented on the computer. * Adaptive computerized questionnaire administration, where a selection of items is presented on the computer, and b ased on the answers on those items, the computer selects following items optimized for the testees estimated ability or trait. -Wikipedia.Org data-based studyIn epidemiology and statistics, an observational study draws inferences about the possible effect of a treatment on subjects, where the assignment of subjects into a treated theme versus a control group is outside the control of the investigator. This is in furrow with experiments, such as randomized controlled trials, where each subject is randomly assigned to a treated group or a control group before the start of the treatment.Wikipedia (2012)Although, observational studies cannot be used as rock-steady sources to make statements of fact about the safety, efficacy, or effectiveness of a practice, they can still be of use for some other things They can 1) provide information on real world use and practice 2) key signals about the benefits and risks ofthe use of practices in the general population 3) help pronounce hypothes es to be tested in subsequent experiments 4) provide part of the community-level data needed to design more informative pragmatic clinical trials and 5) inform clinical practice. Bakhtadze (1072012) utterance is watching behavioral patterns of people in true situations to obtain information about the phenomenon of interest.Quantitative ObservationQuantitative Observation involves the standardization of all observational procedures in order to obtain bona fide research data.Qualitative ObservationQualitative Observation involves observing all relevant phenomena and taking extensive field notes without specifying in advance simply what is observed.Focus GroupsBakhtadze (1062012) A focus group is a type of group interview in which a group moderator (working for the researcher) leads a discussion with a small group of individuals to examine how the group members think and feel about the topic.Purposes of Focus groups1. Obtaining general background information about a topic of intere st 2. Stimulating new ideas and creating concepts 3. Generating impressions of products, programs, services, etc. 4. Learning how respondents talk about the phenomenon of interest 5. Interpreting previously obtained qualitative resultsSummaryA method of data collection is the procedure that a researcher uses to physically obtain research data from research participants. The method of data collection that is used in a research study is discussed in the method member of a research report. . Finally, the methods of data collection discussed in this paper work can be mixed by using the fundamental principle of mixed research to strengthen the evidence provided by a research study.ReferencesAdr, H. J., Mellenbergh, G. J., & Hand, D. J. (2008). Advising on research methods A consultants companion. Huizen, The Netherlands Johannes van Kessel Publishing. Bakhtadze, I., 2012.Course note on Research Methodology, Department of Education, International Black sea University, Tbilisi-Georgia. W orld Bank, n.d Data Collection Methods, 2012 viewed twenty-eighth of declination 2012 http//www.worldbank.org/poverty/impact/methods/datacoll.htm University of Wilconsin, n.d., Data Collection Methods, viewed 28th of December 2012 http//people.uwec.edu/piercech/researchmethods/data%20collection%20methods/data%20collection%20methods.htm Wikipedia, 2012, Questionnaire, viewed 28th 0f December 2012 http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Questionnaire Wikipedia, 2012, Survey Methodology, viewed 28th 0f December 2012 http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistical_survey Wikipedia, 2012, Observational Study, viewed 28th 0f December 2012 http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observational_study