data collection

Data Collection Methods

As our society moves away from factory jobs, lifelong education is becoming an increasing necessity. Technology and data have become a part of how we work. That change has placed more demands on educators than ever before. Whether you’re teaching in a classroom or a boardroom, you need to learn how to collect and manage data.

Although data can be valuable, too much information is unwieldy, and the wrong data is useless. The right data collection method can mean the difference between useful insights and time-wasting misdirection.

Luckily, there are several tools available for primary data collection. The methods range from traditional and simple, such as a face-to-face interview, to more sophisticated ways to collect and analyze data.

Here are the top six data collection methods:

1. Interviews
2. Questionnaires and surveys
3. Observations
4. Documents and records
5. Focus groups
6. Oral histories

We’ll go into more detail about each later.

Qualitative vs quantitative data collection methods

Some of the methods covered here are quantitative, dealing with something that can be counted. Others are qualitative, meaning that they consider factors other than numerical values. In general, questionnaires, surveys, and documents and records are quantitative, while interviews, focus groups, observations, and oral histories are qualitative. There can also be crossover between the two methods.

Qualitative data collection methods

Data analysis can take various formats. The method you choose depends on the subject matter of your research.

Quantitative methods, such as surveys, large-scale benchmarks, and prioritization, answer the question “How much?” But these methods can leave the question “Why?” unanswered. This is where qualitative data collection methods come into play.

Understanding qualitative data collection

Qualitative data collection looks at several factors to provide a depth of understanding to raw data. While qualitative methods involve the collection, analysis, and management of data, instead of counting responses or recording numeric data, this method aims to assess factors like the thoughts and feelings of research participants. Qualitative data collection methods go beyond recording events to create context.

With this enhanced view, researchers can

• Describe the environment. Understanding where observations take place can add meaning to recorded numbers.
• Identify the people involved in the study. If research is limited to a particular group of people, whether intentionally or as a function of demographics or other factors, this information can inform the results.
• Describe the content of the study. Sometimes, the specific activities involved in research and how messages about the study were delivered and received may illuminate facts about the study.
• Interact with study participants. Interactions between respondents and research staff can provide valuable information about the results.
• Be aware of external factors. Unanticipated events can affect research outcomes. Qualitative data collection methods allow researchers to identify these events and weave them into their results narrative, which is nearly impossible to do with just a quantitative approach.