JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF

AGRICULTURE AND TECNOLOGY 

 

MARTIN OTUNDO R. (PHD-project management) +254721246744

 PRESENTATION ON DATA COLLECTION

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DATA

• Primary data is collected first hand from the immediate context of

the activity or phenomenon. It involves the researcher interacting

with the subjects of the study directly

• On the other hand, secondary data involves use of already

synthesized and documented information that was originally

obtained from the context of the study but have been processed

for application. These are gotten from reports, previous studies ,

books as well as industrial or organizational records

OBSTRUCTIVE AND UNOBSTRUCTIVE METHODS

• Obstructive data collection methods are methods where the subject of the study are aware that they are under study.

• As a result, they may change their behavior to be at their best.

• Such include interviews, questionnaires and opinion polls

• Un obstructive data collection methods are methods that do not draw the attention of the subjects of the study to the fact that they are under study

• As a result they retain their natural behavior

• Such include observation and participation

DATA COLLECTION METHODS

QUANTITATYIVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

A) QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHOLOGY

SURVEYS AND QUESTIONNAIRES

CASE STUDIES

STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

QUICK COUNTING ESTIMATES

SURVEYS AND QESTIONNAIRES

• Survey Research is the systematic gathering of

information from respondents for the purpose of

understanding and/or predicting some aspects of the

behavior of the population of interest.

• The survey research is concerned with sampling,

questionnaire design, questionnaire administration

and data analysis.

MERITSAdministration is comparatively inexpensive and easy even when gathering data from large numbers of people spread over wide geographic area Reduces chance of evaluator bias because the same questions are asked of all respondentsMany people are familiar with surveys Some people feel more comfortable responding to a survey than participating in an interview Tabulation of closed-ended responses is an easy and straightforward process

DEMERITS Survey respondents may not complete the survey

resulting in low response rates Items may not have the same meaning to all

respondents Size and diversity of sample will be limited by people’s

ability to read Given lack of contact with respondent, never know who

really completed the survey Unable to probe for additional details Good survey questions are hard to write and they take

considerable time to develop and hone

CASE STUDIES• Classical case studies depend on ethnographic and

participant observer methods.

• They are largely descriptive examinations where the

researcher is immersed in the area of interest with

informants, observes ongoing activities, and develops an

analysis of both individual and cross-case findings.

CASE STUDIES cont’d• Case studies can provide very engaging,

rich explorations of a project or application as it develops in a real-world setting.

• Project evaluators must be aware, however, that doing even relatively modest, illustrative case studies is a complex task that cannot be accomplished through occasional, brief site visits.

• Demands with regard to design, data collection, and reporting can be substantial.

MERITS OF CASE STUDIESFully depicts people’s experience in program input, process, and results Powerful way of portraying program to outsiders

DEMERITS OF CASE STUDIES

Usually quite time consuming to collect information, organize and analyze itRepresents depth of information rather than breadth

STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS• These are interviews where the

questions are structured in advance to allow for very precise and objective responses.

• The researcher thus takes the respondents through the questions and notes the answers as well as interpretations of the nonverbal communication

MODERN INTERVIEW METHODSINTERNET

•With the advance in internet connectivity, many researchers are using the internet to chat with their interviewees both as individuals and in groups

TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS•The mobile telephony has also seen interviews especially opinion polls conducted through calls

SOCIAL MEDIA •The wide access to social sites such as Whatsup, Facebook and Twitter allow researchers to create groups and sites which they can use for interviewing

Interview cont’dVIDEO CONFERENCING

•Video conferencing is a technological advancement that allow for audio visual conferencing between groups and individuals through interconnected audio visual devices

EMAILS•Researchers also opt to sent questions vial mails which the respondents can respond to and needed probes made through the same mail chatting. The difference between this and sending questionnaires via email is that it has numerous exchange of mails and follow ups

MERITS OF STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

Research questions directed towards the desired objectivesPreciseConfidentiality in respondingSpace for more elaborate answers with the structured answers

DEMERITS OF STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

Higher risk of misinterpretation of questions and intentional withholding of facts

There may be a bias by the researcher due to close interaction with the respondents.

There are chances of misreading the non verbal communication

QUICK COUNTING ESTIMATES

• This is a data collection method close to observation but the difference is that the researchers is only concerned with collecting numerical data from the observation such as the number of items in a shop, the number of customers in a supermarket, the number of items bought and such like data

• The data collected is further analyzed quantitatively such as ratios percentiles and correlations

MERITSQuick Analysis of data very simple and straight forward

DEMERITSCannot be used to explain the non quantifiable aspects such as what forms the decision to buyRelies very heavily on the researchers recall and sight such that any error on the researcher impacts on the studyDoes not put into account studies in areas which are inaccessible due to distance or other factors

B) QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

METHODOLOGY PARTICIPATION

DIRECT OBSERVATION

IN DEPTH INTERVIEW

ANALYSIS OF DOCUMENTS AND MATERIAL

CULTURE

PATICIPATION• Also known as participant observation• entails firsthand involvement in the social world

chosen for study.• Immersion in the setting permits the researcher to

hear, to see, and to begin to experience reality as the participants do

• Ideally, the researcher spends a considerable amount of time in the setting, learning about daily life there

• This immersion offers the researcher the opportunity to learn directly from his own experience as personal reflections are integral to the emerging analysis of a cultural group, because they provide the researcher with new vantage points and with opportunities to make the strange familiar and the familiar strange

MERITSThe researcher has a personal touch with the subject matter and can often interpret the experiencesThe researcher gets all the required facts as it does not rely on a second party who may not disclose some information

DEMERITSDirect participation may expose the researcher to emotional bias as there is no professional detachment with the subject of study

DIRECT OBSERVATION• Entails the systematic noting and recording of

events, behaviors, and artifacts (objects) in the social setting chosen for study.

• Observational record is frequently referred to as field notes—detailed, nonjudgmental, concrete descriptions of what has been observed

• This method assumes that behavior is purposeful and expressive of deeper values and beliefs

• Observation can range from a highly structured, detailed notation of behavior structured by checklists to a more holistic description of events and behavior

MERITSCollect data where and when an event or activity is occurring Does not rely on people’s willingness to provide information Directly see what people do rather than relying on what they say they do

DEMERITSSusceptible to observer bias Hawthorne effect – people usually perform better when they know they are being observed Does not increase understanding of why people behave the way they do

IN DEPTH INTERVIEW• Much more like conversations than formal

events with predetermined response categories(Wengraf, 2001)

• The researcher explores a few general topics to help uncover the participant’s views but otherwise respects how the participant frames and structures the responses

• A degree of systematization in questioning may be necessary in, for example, a multisite case study or when many participants are interviewed, or at the analysis and interpretation stage when the researcher is testing findings in more focused and structured questioning.

TYPES OF INTERVIEWS

Ethnographic interviews•The cognitive structures guiding participants’ worldviews•Ethnographic questions are used by the researcher to gather cultural data•Uses all the three types of questions, descriptive, structural, and contrast

Phenomenological interviews

• In-depth interviewing grounded in a philosophical tradition.

• Phenomenology is the study of lived experiences and the ways we understand those experiences to develop a worldview.

• It rests on the assumption that there is a structure and essence to shared experiences that can be narrated.

• The purpose of this type of interviewing is to describe the meaning of a concept or phenomenon that several individuals share

MERITSAn interview yields data in quantity quicklyThe interviewer has room to ask the question again if not understoodThere is both verbal and non verbal communication involved thus easy to infer even what is being withheld by the respondentIn case of group interviews, other members prompt the respondents on aspects they may not be conversant with

DEMERITS Interviewees may be unwilling or may be

uncomfortable sharing all that the interviewer hopes to explore, or they may be unaware of recurring patterns in their lives.

The interviewer may not ask questions that evoke long narratives from participants because of a lack of expertise or familiarity with the local language or because of a lack of skill.

the interviewer may also not properly comprehend responses to the questions or various elements of the conversation.

Finally , at times, interviewees may have good reason not to be truthful

ANALYSIS OF DOCUMENTS AND MATERIAL CULTURE

• This method of data collection is mostly used to collect the background data before the actual study is shaped

• Here, the researcher gathers demographic data and describes geographic and historical particulars.

• It is often done by reviewing previous studies, journals, books and even web sites.

• Data collected through this method is often entailed in chapters one, two and five of the research report

MERITSAn unobtrusive method, rich in portraying the values and beliefs of participants in the settingIt can be conducted without disturbing the setting in any wayIt is also non reactiveData gathered through this method have already been scientifically tested And verified

MERITS cont’dCan be easily used for comparison as a large

amount of studies can be assessed and compared as well as contrasted

Relatively inexpensive Good source of background information Provides a “behind the scenes” look at a

program that may not be directly observableMay bring up issues not noted by other mean

DEMERITSSome of the studies used may have been

overtaken by events thus reliance on obsolete data

Historical data was gathered under limitations and constraints thus having a level of bias on the facts

Some sources especially web sites, newspapers and magazines may not have accurate data

Can be time consuming to collect, review, and analyze many documents

REFFERENCESukamolson S. (2005), Fundamentals of quantitative research

Unpublished seminar paper Chulalongkorn UniversityJames R. (2002) An Overview of qualitative and quantitative Data

collection Methods, prentice publishers, LondonErsanilli E. (2011) Methodology for quantitative data collection, Imaging Europe from outsideCarling J. (2010), Measuring Migration aspirations and intentions.

Unpublished Memo EUMAGINE projectWolvesworth K. (2013) Quantitative and Qualitative Research

Techniques for Humanitarian needs assessment, ACAPSOkombo C. (2012), Quantitative and qualitative research designs for social sciences, unpublished seminar paper, University of Nairobi