Lesson 4.

Understanding Ways to Collect Data

Learning Objective: This lesson includes the techniques in gathering,

storing and sorting data in different sources, tools and strategy used.
Learning Outcome:
At the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:
Determine the importance of data gathering process, integrity of data, and
organizing data.
• Data Gathering
The process of gathering and measuring
information on variables of interest, often through
methods such as interviews and surveys.
• Table 4. Research Source
Monitoring practices and gathering data
Gathering data is multifaceted and complex. Guide questions:
• Which data do I look for? Data about what?
• How do I gather data? Which data gathering methods do I use?
• When and where do I gather data?
• How do I manage the data? How do I sort and store it?
 Also remember that gathering data is just the first piece of a quite complex
process that involves three distinct operations:

1. Collecting data in order to give a clear description about what you and
others are doing (outlined in this chapter).
2. Interpreting and analyzing the data you have collected so that you can
begin to explain what you are doing.
3. Evaluating what you are doing so that you can show its educational value,
and so continue with the action or re-plan in light of your evaluation.
 Guide questions:
• When do I gather data?
• What do I wish to investigate? What is my concern?
• Why do I wish to investigate this issue? Why is it a concern?
• How do I show the situation as it is and the reasons for my concern?
• How do I generate evidence to show how the situation unfolds?
• How do I ensure that any conclusions I come to are reasonably fair and
accurate?
Creighton et al. (2013) get at the heart of the problem by stating that social media is closely
linked to digital technology in general to mobile, Internet-based or other platforms. It is also
increasingly difficult to distinguish social media from digital technology in general (Creighton
et al. 2013) because of the social elements that are now embedded in everything from
smartphone applications to wearable technologies.The challenges are not discipline-specific
and can most poetically be presented as the 6 Vs:
• volume,
• variety,
• velocity,
• veracity,
• virtue and
• value
(Williams et al. 2016).
Interviews
Since people share narratives in their everyday conversation it is not surprising that interviews
are the most common source of narrative data. Indeed, Mishler (1986) has argued that
storytelling is endemic in qualitative interviews but they have often been ignored by
researchers.
Interview Setting
Role of the Interviewer
Impact of Interview
Interview Context
Group Interviews – Collective Stories
Memory and Narrative
• Assignment:
• Read Anabel Quan-Haase & Luke Sloan, 2018. Introduction to the
Handbook of Social Media
• Research Methods: Goals, Challenges and Innovations Mieke Heyvaert,
Karin Hannes &
• Patrick Onghena, 2017.
• Assessment:
• Conduct data gathering. Explain the tools used.
• Identify the ethical considerations applied in data gathering.