TITLE OF COURSE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
TOPIC: DATA ACCUMULATION
LECTURE: 7
Date: 18 November 2019
Objectives
By the end of the lesson the student should be able:
1. To distinguish the different methods used for accumulating data.
2. To come up with an appropriate experimental design
3. To come up with an appropriate sampling method
4. The ethics used in data collection
DATA ACCUMULATION
DEFINITION OF DATA
Data can be considered as unprocessed or disorganized information in the form of values, figures,
numbers or words which can be classified as qualitative or quantitative
Data Classification
Data can be classified into two categories;
1. Quantitative data
2. Qualitative data
Quantitative Data - The characteristics or traits for which numerical value can be assigned.
Quantitative Data - The characteristics or traits for which numerical value cannot be assigned.
Methods of Collecting Data
Basically there are two main methods of collecting data which are;
1. Surveys
2. Experiment
Surveys
Definition: surveys refers to the method of securing information concerning a phenomenon under
study from all or a selected number of respondents of the concerned universe e.g interviews,
questionnaires.
Experimental data
Definition: experiments refers to an investigation in which a factor or variable under test is isolated
and its effects measured.
NB: the method of collecting data obtained from survey is mainly used in the commercial field and
the method of collecting data through experiments is mainly used in the engineering field.
The difference between a survey and an experiment are shown below:
Importance of Data Collection:
The collecting of data is very important in that;
1. It provide a solid foundation for any educational research.
2. It is like something like the raw material that is used in the production of data. Quality of data
determines the quality of research.
3. It provides a definite direction and definite answer to a research inquiry. Whatever inquiry has to give
a definite answer to an investigation. Data are very essential for a scientific research.
4. It is needed to substantiate the various arguments in research findings.
5. It is needed for the verification of a hypotheses.
6. It can be used Estimation of parameters and testing of the hypotheses of any investigation
7. The qualitative data is used to find out the facts and quantitative data are employed to formulate new
theory or principles.
8. It is employed to ascertain the effectiveness of new device for its practical utility.
9. It provides the solution to problem.
Ethics in Data Collection
Ethics are moral values to be taken into consideration when collection data and these are;
i. Dubious things to research
ii. Dubious ways to research
iii. Dubious results
iv. Intellectual Honesty
Sampling
A population is a group of objects under study.
A sample is a sub-group of a population.
Sampling Methods
Experimental Design
Definition: experimental design is a plan of investigation conceived so as to solve a research problem
with various variables due to various factors.
Types of Pre-Experimental Designs
1. One-Shot Case Study Design
a. Also called the one group post-test only design, the one-shot case study design has only one group, a
treatment, and a posttest. Because there is only one group, there is no random assignment. A weakness
of this design is that it is difficult to say for sure that the treatment caused the dependent variable. If
subjects were the same before and after the treatment, the researcher would not know it.
2. One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design
a. This design has one group, a pretest, a treatment, and a posttest. It lacks a control group and random
assignment. This is an improvement over the one-shot case study because the researcher measures the
dependent variable both before and after the treatment. But it lacks a control group. The researcher
cannot know whether something other than the treatment occurred between the pretest and the
posttest to cause the outcome.
3. Static Group Comparison (Posttest Only)
a. Also called the posttest only nonequivalent group design, static group comparison has two groups, a
posttest, and treatment. It lacks random assignment and a pretest. A weakness is that any posttest
outcome difference between the groups could be due to group differences prior to the experiment
instead of to the treatment.
3. Quasi-Experimental and Special Designs
a. These designs, like the classical design, make identifying a causal relationship more certain than do
pre-experimental designs. Quasi-experimental designs help researchers test for causal relationships in a
variety of situations where the classical design is difficult or inappropriate. They are called quasi because
they are variations of the classical experimental design. Some have randomization but lack a pretest,
some use more than two groups, and others substitute many observations of one group over time for a
control group. In general, the researcher has less control over the independent variable than in the
classical design.
i. Types of Quasi-Experimental Designs
1. Two-Group Post-test-Only Design a. This is identical to the static group comparison, with one
exception: The groups are randomly assigned. It has all the parts of the classical design except a pretest.
The random assignment reduces the chance that the groups differed before the treatment, but without
a pretest, a researcher cannot be as certain that the groups began the same on the dependent variable.
2. Interrupted Time Series a. In an interrupted time series design, a researcher uses one group and
makes multiple pretest measures before and after the treatment.
3. Equivalent Time Series
a. An equivalent time series is another one-group design that extends over a time period. Instead of one
treatment, it has a pretest, then a treatment and posttest, then treatment and posttest, then treatment
and posttest, and so on.
Example of Experimental Design
Factorial Experimental Design
In a factorial design one takes each independent variable (or controlled variable) and chooses several
selected levels for each. Then all possible combinations are tried. For example, the researcher interested
on the effect of surrounding temperature on cows’ heart rates might decide that the humidity and the
breed of cow are two nuisance variables which she needs to control. A simple factorial might try two
different breeds of cows, three levels of humidity and five levels of temperature, the result being 30
readings. (Alternatively come up with a mathematical formula) Look at the table below:
Type of cow: Breed 1
Humidity
Temperature H1 H2 H3
T1 H1;T1 H2;T1 H3;T1
T2 H1;T2 H2;T2 H3;T2
T3 H1;T3 H2;T3 H3;T3
T4 H1;T4 H2;T4 H3;T4
T5 H1;T5 H2;T5 H3;T5
Type of cow: Breed 2
Humidity
Temperature H1 H2 H3
T1 H1;T1 H2;T1 H3;T1
T2 H1;T2 H2;T2 H3;T2
T3 H1;T3 H2;T3 H3;T3
T4 H1;T4 H2;T4 H3;T4
T5 H1;T5 H2;T5 H3;T5
Assignment
1. Define an experimental design
2. State and explain the different experimental designs in existence.
3. State the characteristics and consideration of a good experimental design.
4. What is the importance of an experimental design
5. Explain the different types of experimental designs giving their advantages and
disadvantages.
6. Define the following terms; population, sampling and representative.
END OF LECTURE