DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUE AND
CLASSIFICATION
5.1 Survey
5.2 Interview
5.3 Questionnaire
5.4 Case Study
5.5 Observation
5.6 Analysis and Presentation of data
5.1-Survey
-Important
secondary sources of data collection.
-Two
types of surveys as: Census and regular & occasional survey.
-Government
and specialized agencies undertake census on different aspects of the economy
and social life at regular interval.
-Comparative
data can be obtained to enable the researcher to undertake developmental
studies and trend analysis.
-Government
department and other public agencies, to meet the specific requirements of
policy making under regular survey.
-Government
and other non-governmental agencies to be used for own specific purposes
conduct occasional surveys. Because of their ad hoc nature, they cannot provide
data suitable for analysis and longitudinal studies and are useful for
exploratory and descriptive studies.
Classification of Survey
1.
Social or Public opinion survey
-To
identify the social position, behaviour, attitude, or activities of human
beings.
2.
Regular or ad hoc Survey
-Carried
out in certain interval is called regular survey.
-Ad
hoc survey is carried out to fulfil certain purpose at specific time. Once the
purpose is fulfilled, it is not repeated.
3.
Primary or Secondary Survey
-As
primary source of data : Primary Survey
-If the researcher
depends on the survey that was carried out by someone else – Secondary Survey.
4. First or repetitive
Survey
-Carried for first
time in a particular field: First Survey
-Carried out
repeatedly in the same field: Repetitive Survey
5. Open or
Confidential Survey
-Outcomes of the survey
is revealed to the public: Open Survey
-If the outcomes of
survey is kept secret, then it is called Confidential Survey.
5.2-Interview
-Any
person-to-person interaction, either face to face or otherwise two or more
individual with a specific purpose in mind is called an interview.
-Interview
is a verbal interchange, often face to face, through the telephone may be used,
in which an interviewer tries to elicit information, beliefs or opinions form
another persons.
Interview
Schedule
-The
interview researcher is called interview schedule.
-The
schedule is a guideline which the interviewer follows indicating which
questions should be asked.
-The
interview schedule can be classified as: Structured, unstructured and
semi-structured.
Structured
Interview
-Also
called as standardized interviews.
-The
interviewer ticks the appropriate answers on the structured interview schedule.
-The
interviewer doesn’t have the flexibility to change the questions, their formats
or order.
Unstructured
Interview
-Also
called as informal conversational interviews.
-The
interviewer writers the responses of the interviewee either during the
interview or after the interview depending on the style of the interview.
-Unstructured
interviews provide greater flexibility. The interviewer can rephrase the
questions, modify them and add some new questions to his or her list.
Classification of interview
1. One-to-one
interview
a.) Face-to-face
interviews
-The
interview talks to respondent directly.
-Can
be done in the respondent’s home, place of employment or in any other suitable
place.
b.) Telephone
interview
-The
interviewer contacts respondents by telephone rather than by mail.
-The
questions asked are more or less of structured nature.
-When
many respondents are to be reached over a wide geographical area and the time
available for interview for interviews is very short.
2. One-to-many
interview
-Focus
group interview.
-Focus
group is a group individuals selected and assembled by researcher to discuss
and comment on, from personal experience, the topic that is the subject of
research.
5.3-Questionnaire
-A
formula listed of questions to gather responses from respondents on a given
topic.
-Efficient
data: collecting mechanism when the researcher knows exactly what is required
and how to measure the variable of interest.
-Questionnaires
involve several steps, including writing question items, organizing the
question items on a questionnaire, administering the questionnaire, and so on.
-Every
steps in a questionnaire need to be designed carefully.
Questionnaire Design
A
questionnaire can be designed to secure different types of primary data form
the respondents
a)
Intentions
b)
Attitudes and opinions
c)
Activities or behaviour
d)
Demographic characteristics
-The
keys to successful questionnaire design are: order, wording, layout, length and
appearance.
Classification of Questionnaire
1.
Self-administrate questionnaire
-The
respondents usually complete self-administered questionnaires.
-Online
questionnaire: Using email, internet, website or forms.
-Mail
questionnaire: Posting the questionnaire to respondent who return them by post.
-Delivery
and collection questionnaire: Delivering by hand to each respondent and
collecting is later.
2.
Interview Administered:
-Administered
by the researcher himself/herself or by any other interview.
-Telephone
questionnaire: Administered physically meeting the respondent and asking the
questions face-to-face.
5.4-Case
Study
-The
investigator gathers pertinent data about the present status, past experiences
and environment forces that contribute to the individuality and behaviour of
the unit. After analysing the sequences and inter – relationships of these
facts, he/she conducts a comprehensive study of the social unit as it functions
in society.
-Useful
when exploring an area where little is known or where you want to have a
holistic understanding of the situation, phenomenon, episode, site, group or
community.
-Design
is of immense relevance when the focus of a study is on extensively exploring
and understanding rather than confirming and quantifying.
-Provide
an overview and in-depth understanding of a case, process and interactional
dynamics within a unit of study but cannot claim to make any generalization to
population beyond cases similar to the one studied.
Characteristics of Case Study
-In-depth
investigations of given social unit in complex well-organized picture of that
unit.
-Compared
to a survey study which tends to examine a small number of units across a large
number of variables and conditions.
-Case
study that brings the important variables into light, process and interactions
that deserve more extensive attention.
-Prove
useful anecdotes to illustrate more generalized statistical findings.
Limitation of Case Study
-More
expression because of its exploratory nature.
-Generalization
drawn from a single case cannot be applied to all cases in a given population.
-There
is some element of subjectivity. Personal biased may exist.
5.5-Observation
-Way
to collect primary data.
-Observation
is purposeful, systematic and selective way of watching and listing to an
interaction or phenomenon as it takes place.
-Used
when accurate information cannot be obtained by questioning, because
respondents either are not cooperative or are unaware of the answers because it
is difficult for them to death themselves from the interaction.
Eg. When the study of the behaviour or
personality traits of an individual is carried out.
Classification of Observation
1.
Participant Observation
-Research
strategy which aims to gain a closed and intimate familiarity with a given
group of individuals and their practice through an intensive involvement with
people in their natural context.
-The
observer becomes a part of the environment or the environment or the cultural
context.
-Particular
observation is qualitative.
2.
Non-Participant Observation
-Researcher
does not get involved in the activities of the group but remain a passive
observer, watching and listing to its activities and drawing conclusions from
this.
-Unstructured
observation is to observe and recorded behaviour in a holistic way without the
use of a pre-determined guide that has been planned in advance.
-Structured
observation provides a complete list of all expected behaviours and requires
only that the observer checks which ones occurred. Hence, structured
observation is quantitative.
3.
Quasi Observation
-Intermediate
of participant and non-participant observation.
-Researcher
takes part in the events but not fully remains within the family or group.
4.
Mass Observation
-Group
of experts is formed to observed and collect the information or data.
-Followed
by an institution or research agencies.
5.
Uncontrolled and Controlled Observation
àEvents
are not controlled in uncontrolled observation.
àEvents
are controlled as per social condition and researcher is controlled by using
various tools as questionnaire and observation planning.
5.6-Analysis
and Presentation of Data
Data Analysis
-Purpose
of data analysis the data is to change it to change it form an unprocessed form
to an understandable presentation.
-This
process of transforming data is called analysis.
Classification of Data Analysis
1.
Descriptive Analysis: Provides information
about the nature of particular group of individuals.
2. Inferential Analysis: Involves the process of sampling and
drawing a conclusion about population based on the observation of sample.
3.
Computer Data Analysis: Computations involving
statistics.
Presentation of Data:
1.
Presentation in
tabular form.
2.
Presentation in graphs and charts.
a.) Bar Chart
i.) Horizontal bar chart.
ii.) Vertical bar chart.
b.)
Histogram
c.)
Pie chart
d.)
Line chart
e.)
Time-series graph
f.)
Scatter diagram