Data collection is the process of gathering data to evaluate and find answers to specific questions. A researcher uses various methods to collect the data suitable for the research purpose. A researcher collects the data through two distinct sources that are given as under:
Primary data collection: Primary data collection includes the data gathered by the researcher. Primary data collection involves the direct relation of the researcher and the sample to whom data needs to be collected. Primary data can be collected in two categories; qualitative research method and quantitative research method.
Qualitative method
Qualitative research methods involve the data collection with in-depth interviews, open-ended questionnaires, biographies, life stories, etc. in this method, the researcher requires subjective feelings, emotions, and detailed answers of the sample.
Qualitative methods require a longer time to collect data and later on to transcribe that data as compared to quantitative methods.
Quantitative method
On the contrary to it, quantitative research methods involve numbers and exact figures or distinct answers in ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Quantitative research methodology uses closed-ended questions to confine the answers of the sample. Later on, mathematical calculations like mean, median, mode, and regression analysis can easily be run over the collected data. Qualitative vs quantitative methods both depend upon the research design and nature of research that the researcher intends to do.
Secondary data collection
Secondary data collection, as the name implies, requires a secondary source to collect data instead of collecting data directly from the targeted population. The data collected from newspaper journals, publications, collected from a third source, etc. include in this category. But the data collected from the secondary sources demands the reliability and validity of the data.
Data Collection Methods
Various methods are used to collect data in any research prospect like data collected from the focus group, observation, survey forms, histories, biographies, close-ended questionnaire, and many others. Let us have a look at the most common methods of collecting data used in various studies:
Observations: The observatory method is usually used in a qualitative or phenomenological approach. The researcher may observe the participants of the research directly or indirectly. The observer may become a participant in the field or may observe from sitting at a distance. Observation works the best when you want to observe in what way people behave in the natural setting. Mostly, this tool is ideal to observe the children or people in the play-ground or any kind of open- field. You cannot as a researcher ask the children to fulfill any questionnaire. Additionally, interviewing the kids may cause biases, or reality may get distorted as kids are good at story-telling.
Focus groups:
A Focus group is, in fact, a form of the interview but the difference is that a group of people is interviewed sitting in one place at the same time. All participants of the focus group are asked open-ended questions to get detailed answers.
Interviews:
Interviews are conducted when the researcher is focusing on any Phenomenon. An interview involves a face to face discussion between two persons; one is the interviewer (who conducts the interview) and the other is the interviewee (the participant who is willing to get interviewed). The interviewer settles the time and venue with the participant and briefly describes the research purpose to get the consent of the participant. The interviewer may conduct three types of interview:
Structured interview: In a structured interview, the interviewer cannot make changes in the interview schedule and he has to ask only fixed questions during the interview.
Semi-structured interview: In a semi-structured setting, the interviewer has prepared a set schedule of questions but he may ask some other relevant information as well to get clarity. A semi-structured interview depends upon the skills of the interviewer.
Unstructured interview: In this type of interview, both participant and interviewer are open to discuss the phenomenon without any set schedule. The interviewee is open to say anything about the phenomenon that is being discussed.
Questionnaire:
A questionnaire is a common tool for collecting research data from a targeted population. The researcher has the choice to use a standardized questionnaire or self-made questionnaire. The respondents have to respond on a fixed scale. For qualitative research prospects, usually, open-ended questions are asked in the questionnaire while in quantitative researches close-ended questions are included. Keep one thing clear in your mind that the questionnaire is different from surveys. The questionnaire is part of the survey but in surveys, more than one tool is used for collecting data.
Documents and publications:
Some research designs require data collection from the existing data. Existing data may be journals, publications, newspapers, attendance registers, meeting minutes, etc. This type of data collection Essay lab method is cheaper and does not require questioning from the participants.