Collecting

Research Data
Why gather data ?

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 Data
Collection
Data collection is a systematic process of
gathering observations or measurements.
Whether you are performing research for
business, governmental or academic purposes,
data collection allows you to gain first-hand
knowledge and original insights into your
research problem.

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Quantitative Studies
Data collection vary along several dimensions
Types :
Original data (interview) vs existing date
(records)

Example of a study using records Draughton Moret and

colleagues (2016) explored factors associated with
patients’ acceptance of nonoccupational postexposure
HIV prophylaxis following a sexual assault. Data were
obtained from forensic nursing charts.

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๏ 3 types of collecting original or new data

๏ 1. Self-report data or patient reported

outcome – participants responses to
researchers questions (e.g. interview) – most
common data collection approach
2. Direct observation – for people’s behavior
and characteristics
3. Bio physiologic measures – for clinical
variables
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Self-Reports/Patient reported outcomes
๏ Collected with a formal, written document (an
instrument)

๏ Interview schedule – face to face or via

telephone

๏ questionnaire- when respondents’ complete

instrument themselves

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 Question form and wording
๏ In a totally structured instrument, respondents are
asked to respond to the same questions in the same
order. Closed-ended (or fixed-alternative)
questions are ones in which the response options
are prespecified. The options may range from a
simple yes or no to complex expressions of opinion.
Such questions ensure comparability of responses
and facilitate analysis. Some examples of closed-
ended questions are presented in Table 10.1.

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๏ Some structured instruments, however, also
include open-ended questions, which allow
participants to respond to questions in their own
words (e.g., Why did you stop smoking?). When
open-ended questions are included in
questionnaires, respondents must write out their
responses. In interviews, the interviewer records
responses verbatim.

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 Drafting questions
1. Clear

2. Unbiased

3. Comprehensible

4. Structured – sequence in a psychological

meaningful order

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 interview vs questionnaires
๏ Interview –
๏ high response (worst case is to say no than
ignore)
๏ uncontrolled and uninfluenced respond
๏ interactive
๏ personal
๏ Approachable (cannot fill out questionaire)

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 interview vs questionnaires
๏ Questionnaires – less costly
๏ and advantageous
๏ to geographically dispersed samples ,
๏ more anonymous

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Qualtitative studies
In-depth interviews are the most common
method of collecting qualitative data.
Observation is used in some qualitative
studies as well. Physiologic data are rarely
collected in a constructivist inquiry

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Qualitative interviews
1. Do not have set of questions that must
be asked in a specific order
2. Starts with general questions
3. Allow respondents to tell narratives in
a naturalistic fashion
4. Conversational

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Qualitative interviews
types
1. Unstructured interviews
2. Semi structured (or focused) interviews
3. focused group interviews
4. Personal diaries
5. Photo elicitation

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 Qualitative Interview
๏ 1. Unstructured interviews - no preconceived
view of the information to be gathered.
Researchers begin by asking a grand tour
question
ex : “What happened when you first learned that
you had AIDS?”

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 Qualitative Interview
๏ 2. Semi structured (or focused) interviews -
researchers have a list of topics or broad
questions that must be covered in an interview.
- written topic guide
* the interviewers function is to encourage
participants to talk freely about all the topics on
the guide.

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 Qualitative Interview
๏ Example of a semi structured interview Duck and colleagues
(2015) studied the perceptions and experiences of patients with
idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Semi structured interviews lasting
about an hour were conducted with 17 patients. The topic guide
covered topics suggested in the literature and from a patient/carer
support group. The researcher posed broad, open-ended questions
that “gave participants the opportunity to tell their story” (p.
1057).

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 Qualitative Interview
๏ 3. focused group interviews -involve groups of
about 5 to 10 people whose opinions and
experiences are solicited simultaneously
๏ Moderator

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 Qualitative Interview
๏ Example of focus group interviews Neville and colleagues (2015)
explored perceptions of staff working in residential care homes
toward older lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. A total of 47 care
workers from seven residential care facilities participated in seven
focus groups. The topic guide included two vignettes highlighting
the stories of two hypothetical gay/lesbian older people.

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 Qualitative Interview
๏ 4. Personal diaries - a standard data source in historical research. It is
also possible to generate new data for a study by asking participants to
maintain a diary over a specified period.
more intimate
๏

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 Qualitative Interview
๏ Example of diaries Curtis and colleagues (2014) explored responses to stress among Irish
women with breast cancer. Thirty women with newly diagnosed breast cancer maintained
diaries during their participation in a clinical trial. They were asked to write regularly about
their experiences and feelings. A facilitator reminded them weekly about the diaries over a 5-
week period but gave no further instructions.
๏

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 Qualitative Interview
๏ Photo elicitation - involves an interview guided by photographic images.
This procedure, most often used in ethnographies and participatory action
research, can help to promote a collaborative discussion
+ photovoice
๏ Example of a photovoice study Evans-Agnew (2016) used photovoice to
explore disparities in asthma management with African American youth.
Adolescents participated in a three-session photovoice project; their
phototexts were analyzed and compared to youth-related asthma policies in
the state of Washington.
๏

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Thank you !
 References
๏ Book
POLIT, D. (2021). ESSENTIALS OF NURSING
RESEARCH (9th ed., pp. 345-380). NEW YORK:
WOLTERS KLUWER MEDICAL.
๏ Website
Base, K., & collection, A. (2021). Data Collection |
A Step-by-Step Guide with Methods and Examples.
Retrieved 6 February 2021, from
https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/data-
collection/
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