DATA COLLECTION METHODS/TOOLS

Generally, data collection methods are divided to two main categories of Primary Data
Collection Methods and Secondary Data Collection Methods.
PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION METHODS
Primary data collection is based on the processes by which you gather data yourself for your
purpose of study and no one has access to use this data until it is published and both qualitative
and quantitative approaches are used for this purpose.
The most common types are initially explained including questionnaires, interviews, focus
groups, observation, survey, case studies, and experimental methods in detail. Then, other
methods are reviewed shortly.
Questionnaire Method
The questionnaire is one of the common devices for collecting information for research it include
a set of questions and secure answers that respondents fill to give the researcher information
needed for the study.
General Rules for Constructing a Questionnaire
● Use simple and short questions as much as possible
● Use understandable, simple, and clear statements for all respondents with different educational
levels
● Do not use more than one question (double-barreled) in one item;
● Avoid making assumptions for the respondents
● Avoid directing the respondent to any answer using objective questions.

Interviews
In interviews, is a fundamental way of social interaction, in which questions are asked and data
are collected using provided answers and it is in contrast to the questionnaire with indirectly
collected data methodology. Thus, the chance of getting confidential data from interviewees is
also possible; however, it requires special skills which are not necessary for questionnaires.
Researchers can employ different methods to conduct an interview and perform them in
individual, or group face-to-face interviews, as well as not personally for example using
telephone, computer, etc.

Types of Interviews
In addition to the administration mode of interviews which was discussed before, interview types
can be structured, semi-structured, and unstructured.
▪ Structured interviews: In these kinds of interviews, interviewees face the same set of
standardized questions which are pre-prepared before the interview session. The possible
responses are limited, and participants may just face a few open-ended questions.
▪ Semi-structured Interviews Semi-structured interviews are formal and are conducted based
on a guide. The interviewers ask questions considering the guidance; however, when researchers
or interviewers need extra information, they can continue the conversation based on the
questions provided ahead of time.
. Unstructured interviews
Unstructured interviews are informal methods of interviewing without using a specific structure.
There is no guide in this type, and they just conduct casual conversations. Interviewers collect
data using brief notes and try to memorize the responses.

Focus Groups Discussion (FGD)

This method, simply, is a mixture of interviewing and observation. This method is used to
discover human behavior, attitudes, and respondents facing a particular concept. This in-depth
field method gathers a group of individuals, normally between 6-12 people in each group,
commonly with a shared characteristic such as sex, age, and educational status to discuss a
specific study field. The mediators aim to stimulate and discover the behavior of the participants
and the reasons of each behavior using social dynamic of the group

General Rules
o After identifying the suitable target group considering shared required characteristics, a
short explanation about the concept should be provided to help the participants get
familiar with the background and the meaning of the concept.
o The standardized questions should be discussed based on the protocol and the responses
of the group to issues should be written.
o Discussions about the concept should be also facilitated to gain more than just normal
question-answer interactions.
o To obtain a comprehensive investigation, more than one focus group (minimum three)
should be managed.
o After summarizing the results of the discussions, the meeting can be finalized, although
sometimes more than one session is needed.

Observational Methods
In these techniques, first-hand data is gathered through the observation of events, behaviors,
interactions, processes, etc. directly to obtain an understanding of the concepts. For example,
observation is an appropriate technique to evaluate teaching methods in the classes. It can be
used when focus groups and interviews cannot help to gather data due to the different reasons
including times that participants:
Reasons for observational method over focus group
 Time
 When participant are not aware of the concept
 When participant are not able to talk about the concept;
 When participant do not prefer to discuss the concept.

Survey Methods
A survey simply is an appropriate method to determine feelings, opinions, and thoughts. The aim
of the survey can be both globally and specifically. They can provide a large volume of data
using telephone calls, emails, or face-to-face interviews.
On the other hand, data can be collected in self-completion surveys or by the interviewer. A
survey can be used to explore social behaviors such as measuring the behavior of political
candidates and professional people in educational institutions.

Case-Studies
Case studies give you the opportunity to investigate issues deeply and descriptively. It covers
different concepts ranging from individual(s) to organizations and sectors when the number of
sites is small. As they develop a real-world context by observing what happens there and also
interviewing the participants, they can help the researcher to study the site precisely and obtain
deep explorations. It is basically an empirical investigation that can study different phenomena in
a real-life context when the boundaries between them are not clear and also needs a
comprehensive investigation.

Experimental Methods
Experiments are also one of the main methods and even the prime method of data collection. In
this method, the researcher can create a research situation, choose the participants and
manipulate the independent variables (often limited and small numbers) participant in this
method are divided into two cohot for the purpose of study.
Types of Experiments
With Their Merits and Demerits Experiments can be conducted in three ways:
✓ Laboratory/controlled settings
✓ Field Experiments
✓ Natural Experiments