Methods of Data Collection Lecture Notes Unit I Research Methodology

I NTRODUCTI NTRODUCTI ON : V arious arious methods of of coll collecting data are em employed ployed by socia social scien scientists. tists. Here we wil will discus discuss s thevaried varied dim dimensions rel relevant evant to : data generati neration on and attempt to arr arriive at an abstract typology typology invol involvi ving ng sti stim muli uli, responses and setti setting ng for data coll collection. ection. The The task of data coll collection ection begins gins after a research research problem problemhas been defined and rese research desi design gn /plan /plan chalked out.  TY PES OF DAT DATA A: 1) PRI PRIM M ARY DAT DA TA : Are those thosewhich are collec coll ecte ted d afresh resh and for thefirst time time and thu thus s hap happen to be be origina originall in cha characte racter and and known known as Prim Primary data data.. 2) SECO SECOND NDA ARY DAT DA TA : Are A re thos those e which which have be been coll collected ected by someone else and which which have already ready been pass passed through the statisti tatistical cal process are known known as Secondary data. COLL ECTION OF OF PRIM ARY DATA :  The  There are several methods of collec llecting ing primary data, particu icular larly in surveys and descript iptive ive researches. In descripti escriptive ve resea research, we obtai obtain prim ri mary data data either either through observati observation on or through direct direct communicati unication on with with responde respondents iin n oneform or anothe another or through through personal intervi nterviews. ews. COLL ECTI ON OF OF SECON SECOND DARY DATA :  The  These are alre lready availab ilable i.e i.e. they refer fer to the data which ich have alre lready been collec llected and analyz lyzed by someone else. Secondary data may either either be publishe publi shed or unpubl unpubliished data. data. Researcher archer must be very careful in using using seconda secondary ry data, because the the data avai available may be sometim etimes unsuitable. uitable. M ethods of data data Collec Collecti tion on :Primar mar y Data : 1) OBSE OBSERV RV ATION M ETHO ET HOD D : Observati rvation method thod is a method unde under which data from thefield is coll collected with with thehelp of observati observation on by the the obse observer or by persona personally going going to the field. In I n thewords of  P.V P.V . Y oung, “Obse “Observation rvation may bedefined as system systematic viewing, vi ewing, coupled coupled with with consi conside deration ration of seen phenomenon.” 2) INTERVI EW M ETHOD: :  This  This method of collec llecting ing data inv involve lves presentation ion or oral-ve l-verbal stimuli and reply in terms of oralverbal respons responses es. The T here are diff different type of interviews rvi ews as foll ollows : A) personal interviews rvi ews : the interviewe interviewer asks ques questions tions general erally in i n a face to face contact contact to the other person or persons. persons. B) telep telephoni honic inte interviews rvi ews : when it is i s not possible ossible to contact the respondent di directly, rectly, then interview rvi ew is conducted through –T –Teleph elephone. C) structured structured interviews interviews : in in this case case, a set of prepre-decide cided questions stions are there. D) D) unstructured inte interviews rvi ews : in i n thi this case, we don’ don’t fol folllow a syste system m of pre-dete pre-determ rmiined que questions. stions. E) focused ocused interviews rvi ews : attention tion is is focused ocused on thegiven given experien rience of the respon responde dent and and its possi possible ble effects. ects. F) F) cl clinical interviews rvi ews : conce concerned rned with with broad broad unde nderlyi rlying ng feelings ngs or moti motiva vati tions ons or or with wi th the the course of of indi ndividu vidua al’s li life experien rience, rather than with with the effects of the specif cific experien rience, as in in the case of focuse focused inte interview. rvi ew. G) group interviews : a group of 6 to 8 individuals is interviewed. H) qualitative and quantitative interviews : divided on the basis of subject matter i.e. whether qualitative or quantitative. I) indiv i ndiviidual interviews rvi ews : inte i nterviewe rvi ewer mee meets a sing singlle person and interviews interviews him him.  J ) selec lection ion int interview iews : done for for the selec lection ion of people for for certain job jobs.

K ) depth depth inte interviews rvi ews : it i t deliberately aims to el elicit cit uncons unconsci cious ous as well as other other types types of material rial relating relating especia cially to persona personality dynamics and and motivations. otivations. 3) QUESTI QUESTI ONNAIRE ONNAIR E METH M ETH OD: :  This  This method of data collec llection ion is quite ite popular lar, particu icular larly in case of big enquirie iries s. The The question ionnaire ire is mail ailed to respondents who are expected to read and understan understand d the questions stions and write write down the repl reply in in the space meant for for the purpose purpose in in the questionna stionnaiire itse itself. The responde respondents have have to answer answer the questions stions on their own. HOW TO CONSTRUCT CONSTRUCT A QUESTI QUESTI ONNAI ONNAI RE: : Researcher shoul should d note the foll ollowing owing with with regard to thesethree main ain aspects of a questionna tionnaire: Gene General form Questi Question on Sequence Sequence Determine rmine the type the Questions Questions : A ) Di Direct rect Que Questi stion B) Indirect Question C) Open Form Questionnaire D) Closed Form Questionnaire E) Dichotomous Questions F) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) 4) SCHE SCHEDU DUL L E M ETHOD: ET HOD: It is is one of the important methods for the study study of social social problem problems. In I n the words of Thom T homas Carson M acorm acormiic, “The “T he sche schedule is is nothing more more than than a li list of questions stions which it i t seems necessa cessary to test the hypothesis .” 5) CASE CASE STUDY M ETHOD ET HOD : : It is is essentiall ntially an intensive inve investiga stigation tion of the particul rticular ar unit unit under considerati consideration. on. Its Its im important characte characteristi ristics cs are are as foll follows : a) the researcher can take take one singl ngle soci social al unit unit or more of such units units for f or his study purpose. b) the selected unit is studied intensively i.e. it is studied in minute details. 6) SURVEY SURVEY M ETH OD : : One of the common methods of diag diagnosing nosing and sol solving ving of social social probl problem ems is is that of undertaking rtaking surveys. surveys. Festinge tinger and Kat Kat of the opi opinion nion that, “M “M any research probl problem ems requi require re systematic coll col lection ction of data from from populatio population n through the useof personal intervi i nterviews ews or other data data gathering ri ng devices.” evices.” 7) PANEL M ETHOD ET HOD : : In this this method, data data is is coll collected ected from from the same sample ple responde respondents nts at the some interval interval eithe either by mai mail or by personal interview.  This  This is used for for studies ies on : 1) Expenditure Pattern 2) Consumer Beh Behaviour 3) Eff Effective ctivene ness of Adve A dvertising rtising 4) Voti V oting ng Behaviour and so on