PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2

CHAPTER 4. Understanding Data and Ways

to Systematically Collect Data

LESSON 4:
Planning Data Collection Procedures

September 2018
 Lesson 4. Planning Data Collection Procedures

Data Collection refers to the

process of gathering information.
The data that you will collect should
be able to answer the questions you
posed in you Statement of the
Problem.
 Lesson 4. Planning Data Collection Procedures

There are various methods that you can use in

collecting data for a research study. Each has its
advantages and disadvantages and as a researcher
you should be able to identify when it is
appropriate to employ each of the data collection
procedures. All these techniques are expected to
generate numerical calculations. The data are
collected, recorded, organized and translated to
measurement scales and entered into a computer
database for statistical computation, using
appropriate software packages.
 Lesson 4. Planning Data Collection Procedures

Types of Quantitative Data Collection Procedures

A. OBSERVATION
This method of gathering data is usually used in situations
where the respondents cannot answer the researcher’s
question to obtain information for a research study. The
observation is structured to elicit information that could be
coded to give numerical data. As a researcher, you have to
prepare a checklist using an appropriate rating scale that may
categorize the behavior, attitude or attribute that you are
observing to answer the questions posed in your study. As
you observe, you will record your observation by using
checkmarks or cross marks on your checklist.
 Lesson 4. Planning Data Collection Procedures

Types of Quantitative Data Collection Procedures

B. SURVEY
Quantitative data can be collected using four (4)
main types of survey:
• Sample Survey. The researcher collects data from a sample
of a population to estimate the attributes or characteristics
of the population. Example of sample survey pertains to
customer satisfaction, health care, politics, market research,
academic or education surveys. At the current time surveys
concerning feedbacks from parents and teachers on the K-
12 implementation are very timely.
 Lesson 4. Planning Data Collection Procedures

Types of Quantitative Data Collection Procedures

B. SURVEY
Quantitative data can be collected using four (4)
main types of survey:
• Administrative Data. This is a survey on the organization’s
day-to-day operations. This kind of data is now supported
with various ICT tools and softwares making it easy for
organizations especially government, schools, industry, NGO
to update their records efficiently and effectively and put up
their own Management Information Systems (MIS)
 Lesson 4. Planning Data Collection Procedures

Types of Quantitative Data Collection Procedures

B. SURVEY
Quantitative data can be collected using four (4)
main types of survey:
• Census. The researcher collects data from the selected
population. It is an official count on survey of a population
with details on demographics, economic and social data
such as age, sex, education, marital status, household size,
occupation, religion, employment data, educational
qualifications, and housing. The collected data are usually
used by government or private firms for planning purposes
and development strategies.
 Lesson 4. Planning Data Collection Procedures

Types of Quantitative Data Collection Procedures

B. SURVEY
Quantitative data can be collected using four (4)
main types of survey:
• Tracer Studies. This is a regular survey with a sample of
those surveyed within a specific time or period.
In school settings, tracer studies are used by educational
institutions to follow up their graduates. The survey is usually sent
to a random sample after one or two years after graduation from
their courses. Tracer studies gather data on work or employment
data, current occupation and competencies needed in the
workplace to determine gaps in curriculum and other related
activities between academe and industry.
 Lesson 4. Planning Data Collection Procedures

Types of Quantitative Data Collection Procedures

C. QUANTITATIVE INTERVIEW
The interview may be used for both quantitative and
qualitative research studies. Both research methods involve
the participation of the researcher and the respondent.
In conducting a quantitative interview, the researcher
prepares an interview guide or schedule. It contains the list
of questions and answer options that the researcher will
read to the respondent. The interview guide may contain
closed- ended questions and a few open-ended questions
as well, that are delivered in the same format and same
order to every respondent.
 Lesson 4. Planning Data Collection Procedures

Types of Quantitative Data Collection Procedures

C. QUANTITATIVE INTERVIEW
This method of collecting data involves gathering of
information from a large representative sample, which is
quite laborious. Using a recorder during the interview will
lessen not only the time required to record the answers but
will also lessen the interview effect on the respondents.
Likewise, it gives the researcher an opportunity to explain
or clarify some questions which may be confusing to the
respondent. However, it is time consuming and expensive
than administering questionnaires.
 Lesson 4. Planning Data Collection Procedures

Types of Quantitative Data Collection Procedures

C. QUANTITATIVE INTERVIEW
Data from quantitative interviews can be analyzed by
assigning numerical values to the responses of the
participants. The numeric responses may be entered into
a data analysis computer program where you can run
various statistical measures.
 Lesson 4. Planning Data Collection Procedures

Types of Quantitative Data Collection Procedures

D. QUESTIONNAIRE
A questionnaire may be standardized or researcher-made.
A standardized questionnaire has gone through the process of
psychometric validation, has been piloted and revised.
Sauro (2012) provided the advantages of standardized usability
questionnaire:
1.Validity. It has undergone the process of validation procedures.
That is, it determines how well the questionnaire measures what it is
intended to measure.
2. Reliability. The repeatability of the questionnaire has been
tested. It refers to how consistent responses are to the questions.
 Lesson 4. Planning Data Collection Procedures

Types of Quantitative Data Collection Procedures

D. QUESTIONNAIRE
Sauro (2012) provided the advantages of standardized usability
questionnaire:
3. Sensitivity. It is often measured using resampling procedures
to see how well the questionnaire can differentiate at a fraction of
the sample size.
4. Objectivity. To attain this measure, practitioners or experts are
requested to verify statements of other practitioners in the same
field.
5.Quantification. The standardized questionnaire has undergone
statistical analysis.
 Lesson 4. Planning Data Collection Procedures

Types of Quantitative Data Collection Procedures

D. QUESTIONNAIRE
Sauro (2012) provided the advantages of standardized usability
questionnaire:
6. Norms. The standardized questionnaire have normalized
references and databases which allow one to convert raw scores to
percentile ranks.
 Lesson 4. Planning Data Collection Procedures

Types of Quantitative Data Collection Procedures

D. QUESTIONNAIRE
For a researcher-made questionnaire that has been developed by the
researcher specifically for a research study, the following should be
discussed:
1. The corrections and suggestions made on the draft to improve the
instrument.
2. The different persons involved in the correction and refinement of
the research instrument.
3. The pre-testing efforts and subsequent instrument revisions
4. The type of items used in the instrument.
5. The reliability of the data and evidence of validity
 Lesson 4. Planning Data Collection Procedures

Types of Quantitative Data Collection Procedures

D. QUESTIONNAIRE
For a researcher-made questionnaire that has been developed by the
researcher specifically for a research study, the following should be
discussed:
6. The steps involved in scoring, guidelines for interpretation
 Lesson 4. Planning Data Collection Procedures

Types of Quantitative Data Collection Procedures

D. QUESTIONNAIRE
Other guidelines in formulating good questions in a questionnaire:
 Avoid leading questions.
Be specific with what you like to measure.
For example, if you want to evaluate a program, be specific with
what aspect or measurement you like to evaluate in the program,
quality, and effectiveness.
Avoid unfamiliar words that the respondents might not be familiar
with.
Multiple choice categories should be mutually exclusive to elicit
clear choices
 Lesson 4. Planning Data Collection Procedures

Types of Quantitative Data Collection Procedures

D. QUESTIONNAIRE
Other guidelines in formulating good questions in a questionnaire:
 Avoid personal questions, which may intrude into the privacy of
the respondents like those questions pertaining to income, family
life, beliefs, like religions or political affiliation.
Make your questions short and easy to answer.