Data Collection Methods Overview

Study Notes

Data Collection Tools

Records And Secondary Data
- Files, computer databases, and industry reports are examples of secondary data.
- This data is often less expensive and faster to obtain than collecting original data.
- Challenges include data quality, availability, access, and validation.

Observation

Observation is useful for:
- Understanding current behavior or events
- Gathering information about physical evidence or outputs
- Providing alternative data collection methods when other methods are infeasible or inappropriate
Observation Advantages:
- Collects real-time data on actual behavior
- Offers direct information about events
Observation Challenges:
- Possible observer bias
- Difficulty in interpreting and coding observations
- Sampling issues which can limit the usefulness of data
- Potential for high labor intensity and low response rates

Surveys and Interviews

Surveys are best for:
- Gathering information about perceptions, opinions, and ideas
- They are less accurate for measuring behavior
Challenges with Surveys:
- Representing the whole population through a sample
- Low response rates
Modes of Survey Administration:
- Telephone surveys
- Self-administered questionnaires (mail, email, or websites)
- Administered questionnaires
- Language and translation issues in development contexts
Mail/Phone/Internet Surveys:
- Literacy issues need to be considered
- Accessibility issues include the reliability of postal service and turn-around time
- Potential bias from differing population segments with telephone or internet access
Advantages of Surveys:
- Gathering information that people can only provide about their thoughts and perceptions
Challenges of Surveys:
- Accuracy of people's recalled behavior
- Reluctance to disclose illegal or stigmatized behavior
- The potential difference between what people say they do and what they actually do.
Interviews:
- Often semi-structured
- Used to explore complex issues in depth
- Allow for flexibility to clarify questions and modify them for later interviews
- Offer intuitive understanding of the situation being evaluated
Challenges of Interviews:
- Can be expensive, time-consuming, and labor-intensive
- Interviewer bias can lead to selective hearing and missing information that does not fit pre-existing beliefs
- Cultural sensitivity is important, such as considering gender issues

Focus Groups

Focus groups are a type of qualitative research:
- Where small homogenous groups discuss topics under the guidance of a moderator
- The purpose is to identify issues and themes, not simply interesting information, and not to count data
Focus groups are inappropriate when:
- Language barriers are significant
- Evaluators have limited control over the situation
- Trust cannot be established
- Free expression or confidentiality cannot be assured