DEFINITION: Systematic process of gathering data for official statistics. CONTEXT: There is a number of data collection methods used for official statistics, including computer-aided personal or telephone interview, mailed questionnaires, electronic or internet questionnaires and direct observation. The data collection may be exclusively for statistical purposes, or primarily for non-statistical purposes. Descriptions of data collection methods should include the purpose for which the data were collected, the period the data refer to, the classifications and definitions used, and any constraints related to further use of these data. Data collection methods for impact evaluation vary along a continuum. At the one end of this continuum are quantatative methods and at the other end of the continuum are Qualitative methods for data collection Quantitative and Qualitative Data collection methods The Quantitative data collection methods, rely on random sampling and structured data collection instruments that fit diverse experiences into predetermined response categories. They produce results that are easy to summarize, compare, and generalize. Quantitative research is concerned with testing hypotheses derived from theory and/or being able to estimate the size of a phenomenon of interest. Depending on the research question, participants may be randomly assigned to different treatments. If this is not feasible, the researcher may collect data on participant and situational characteristics in order to statistically control for their influence on the dependent, or outcome, variable. If the intent is to generalize from the research participants to a larger population, the researcher will employ probability sampling to select participants. Typical quantitative data gathering strategies include: • Experiments/clinical trials. • Observing and recording well-defined events (e.g., counting the number of patients waiting in emergency at specified times of the day). • Obtaining relevant data from management information systems. • Administering surveys with closed-ended questions (e.g., face-to face and telephone interviews, questionnaires etc). Qualitative data collection methods play an important role in impact evaluation by providing information useful to understand the processes behind observed results and assess changes in people’s perceptions of their well-being.Furthermore qualitative methods can beused to improve the quality of survey-based quantitative evaluations by helping generate evaluation hypothesis; strengthening the design of survey questionnaires and expanding or clarifying quantitative evaluation findings. These methods are characterized by the following attributes: • they tend to be open-ended and have less structured protocols (i.e., researchers may change the data collection strategy by adding, refining, or dropping techniques or informants) • they rely more heavily on iteractive interviews; respondents may be interviewed several times to follow up on a particular issue, clarify concepts or check the reliability of data • they use triangulation to increase the credibility of their findings (i.e., researchers rely on multiple data collection methods to check the authenticity of their results) • generally their findings are not generalizable to any specific population, rather each case study produces a single piece of evidence that can be used to seek general patterns among different studies of the same issue Regardless of the kinds of data involved,data collection in a qualitative study takes a great deal of time.The researcher needs to record any potentially useful data thououghly,accurately, and systematically,using field notes,sketches,audiotapes,photographs and other suitable means.The data collection methods must observe the ethical principles of research. The qualitative methods most commonly used in evaluation can be classified in three broad categories: • indepth interview • observation methods • document review Data Collection Procedures The first stage is where you start with the research question, go through what others have done, modify your own research question(s) and set some kind of hypothesis or theory. The second stage is that part of your research where you decide on your research design i.e. qualitative or quantitative or a combination of both and assemble your conceptual framework. These stages will be informed by such decisions like: • What kind of data is required to test the hypothesis/theory? • From whom to collect the data? and • What procedures need to be followed to collect that data? All these decisions are related to the planning of the data collection before it is actually collected. In this regard, you need to answer some questions as you devise your data collection procedures: 1) How is the data collected? This can take place at two stages - as part of planning and during project development a. if the data is collected as part of a planning activity, or introduced in a project document, it is necessary to indicate the following: o where is the information documented? o when is the information considered "final"? b. if the data is collected during the course of project development you will need to indicate the following: o who is responsible for providing the data? o how to ensure that all relevant data has been collected 2. When is the data collected? Make sure the procedures indicate at exactly what point each piece of data is to be collected. 3. Who is responsible for collecting and recording the data? Describe who is responsible for collecting the data, who is responsible for entering it in the database, and who is responsible for transforming the raw data into the form you will work on. 4. Where is the collected data stored? Describe how the data will be stored - questionnaires, records of interviews, copies of official documents, emails, as well as the name and location of these materials. 5. How do we ensure that the data is correct? Describe any consistency checks that can be performed to verify that the data is reasonable (reliable). You will also need to describe the procedure for dealing with suspect or blatantly erroneous data . There are different ways through which you can collect data depending, for example, upon whether it is primary or secondary data or whether it is quantitative or qualitative data. Data Collection Tools Case Studies A case study is usually an in-depth description of a process, experience, or structure at a single institution. In order to answer a combination of ‘what’ and ‘why’ questions, case studies generally involve a mix of quantitative (i.e., surveys, usage statistics, etc.) and qualitative (i.e., interviews, focus groups, extant document analysis, etc.) data collection techniques. Most often, the researcher will analyze quantitative data first and then use qualitative strategies to look deeper into the meaning of the trends identified in the numerical data. Checklists Checklists structure a person’s observation or evaluation of a performance or artifact. They can be simple lists of criteria that can be marked as present or absent, or can provide space for observer comments. These tools can provide consistency over time or between observers. Checklists can be used for evaluating databases, virtual IM service, the use of library space, or for structuring peer observations of instruction sessions. Interviews In-Depth Interviews include both individual interviews (e.g., one-on-one) as well as “group” interviews (including focus groups). The data can be recorded in a wide variety of ways including stenography, audio recording, video recording or written notes. In depth interviews differ from direct observation primarily in the nature of the interaction. In interviews it is assumed that there is a questioner and one or more interviewees. The purpose of the interview is to probe the ideas of the interviewees about the phenomenon of interest. Observation Sometimes, the best way to collect data through observation. This can be done directly or indirectly with the subject knowing or unaware that you are observing them. You may choose to collect data through continuous observation or via set time periods depending on your project. You may interpret data you gather using the following mechanisms: 1. Descriptive observations: you simply write down what you observe 2. Inferential observations: you may write down an observation that is inferred by the subject’s body language and behavior. 3. Evaluative observation: You may make an inference and therefore a judgment from the behavior. Make sure you can replicate these findings.
Posted on: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 12:07:40 +0000
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