DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL,BOPAL-AHMEDABAD

COLLECTION OF DATA CYCLE -2

Economics class 11
INTRODUCTION

Data is a collection of facts and measurement. (Aggregate(sum) or Average).

Data is a tool which helps in reaching a sound conclusion by providing information therefore. For
statistical investigation, collection of data is the first and foremost.

EXAMPLE OF DATA

• The test scores of each student in a particular class is a data set.

• There are 8 sugar mills in Haryana compared to 20 in Punjab.

. There are 30 students in class XI as compared to 20 in class XII

Purpose:

• To obtain information

• To keep records

• To make decisions about economic issues

• To pass information to others

Primary Data

• Data originally collected in the process of investigation are known as primary data.

• This is original form of data which are collected for the first time.

• It is collected directly from its source of origin

EXAMPLE

• Collection of data relating to the marks secured by all the students of XI B in Economics in
their First Term Exam.

• Collection of data related to the monthly pocket money of each student of XI B

Secondary data

• It refers to collection of data by some agency, which already collected the data and
processed.

• The data thus collected is called secondary data.

EXAMPLE

• Collection of data relating to the marks secured by all the students of XI B in Economics in
their First Term Exam from their Class Teacher.

• Collection of data by a researcher regarding the Unemployment of the country published by

the government organisations
BASIC TERMS

• INVESTIGATOR :

A person who plans and conducts the investigation independently or with the help of others.

• INFORMANTS:

A person who provides or gives information to the investigator

DIRECT PERSONAL INVESTIGATION

• In the Direct Personal observation method, the investigator collects data by having direct
contact with the informants.

• The accuracy of data depends upon the ability, training and attitude of the investigator.

• The investigator should be diligent, efficient, impartial and tolerant.

EXAMPLE

• If a survey is to be conducted about the workers of a factory, then the investigator

will personally meet the workers of the factory and get the necessary information.

• If the survey is to be done regarding the result of Economics of XI B then personally the
data is collected from each and every student.

INDIRECT ORAL INVESTIGATION

• In Indirect Oral Investigation, data is collected through indirect sources.

• Persons who are likely to have information about the problems, are interrogated and on the
basis of their answers, factual data have to be compiled. These people are known as
witnesses.

• Most of the commissions of enquiry appointed by government collect primary data by this
method.

• The accuracy of the method depends largely upon the type of persons interviewed and
hence these persons have to be selected very carefully.

• The data regarding the economic conditions of the workers may be collected from their
employers rather than the workers themselves.

• The data regarding the marks of the students are collected from their friends.
INFORMATION FROM LOCAL SOURCES OR CORRESPONDENTS

• In this method local agents and correspondents are appointed in different areas to
collect information. The agents collect information in their own way. This method is used by
television, newspaper and radio agencies.

• EX -NEWS COLECTED BY MEDIA CHANNELS

• Correspondents who are posted at different places supply information relating to such
events as accidents, riots, strikes, etc., to the head office.

• This method is also adopted generally by the government departments in such cases where
regular information is to be collected from a wide area.

QUESTIONNAIRE

Questionnaire is an instrument for research, which consists of a list of questions, along with the
choice of answers, printed or typed in a sequence on a form used for acquiring specific information
from the respondents
INFORMATION THROUGH QUESTIONNAIRES

• Investigator prepares a questionnaire keeping in view the objective of enquiry.

• Two ways of collecting information on the basis of questionnaire – MAILING METHOD

ENUMERATOR’S METHOD

MAILING METHOD

• Questionnaires are delivered to the persons concerned either by post or mail, requesting
them to answer the questions and return it.

• Informants are expected to read and understand the questions and reply in the space
provided in the questionnaire itself.

It is assured that the information is to be kept secret

ENUMERATOR’S METHOD

• Enumerator :

A person who actually collects the desired statistical information. They are the trained
personnel hired by the investigator for the field work.
A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions (or other types of
prompts) for the purpose of gathering information from respondents.

Characteristics of a good questionnaire

• Deals with a significant topic
• Seeks only that information which cannot be obtained from
other sources such as census data
• As short as possible, only long enough to get the essential data.
 • Attractive in appearance, neatly arranged, and clearly duplicated or
printed.

SECONDARY DATA
Secondary data is the data that has already been collected through primary sources and
made readily available for researchers to use for their own research. It is a type of data
that has already been collected in the past. A researcher may have collected the data for a
particular project, then made it available to be used by another researcher.
PUBLISHED SOURSES
1. Govt. Publications: The Central Statistical Organization (CSO) and various state govt.
collect …
2. International Bodies: All foreign govts and international agencies publish regular reports of
…
3. Semi Govt. Publications: Semi govt, organizations municipalities, District Boards and others
also …
4. Reports of Committee and Commissions: Central Govt, or State Govt, sometimes appoints

UNPUBLISHED SOURSES
Unpublished refers to any information source that is not officially released by an individual,
publishing house, or other company, and can include both paper and electronic sources

Precautions of using unpublished sources

Reliable source
Adequate data
Suitability
 Pilot survey

A survey, usually on a small scale, carried out prior to the main survey, primarily to gain
information to improve the efficiency of the main survey. For example, it may be used to test
a questionnaire, to ascertain the time taken by field procedure or to determine the most
effective size of sampling unit

Advantages of pilot survey are

(i) The questions to he asked are being tested through pilot survey.
(ii) The problems which may arise during large survey are guessed and solutions are found
out.
(iii) Some aspects of data can be estimated.
(iv) The time and cost of actual survey can be estimated exactly .

Uses of pilot survey

Pilot survey is a strategy used to test the questionnaire using a smaller sample compared
to the planned sample size. In this phase of conducting a survey, the questionnaire is
administered to a percentage of the total sample population, or in more informal cases just to
a convenience sample.