Quantitative Data Collection Lecture 3

Quantitative Data Collection Lecture 3

• Lecture presented by Dr Owen Hogan
• Focuses on different methods of collecting quantitative data

Overview of Data Collection Methods

• Primary data collection: Surveying, Experimental,
• Secondary data collection: Data mining, Case studies

Primary Data Collection - Surveys and Questionnaires

• Common tool for quantitative data
• Series of questions, delivered in person, by mail, online, or phone
• Collect data on a diverse range of topics (opinions, behaviors, preferences, demographics)
• Cost-effective, Large audience reached, Standardized responses (easy to quantify)
• Disadvantages: Low response rates, potential for response bias, limited depth of information

Primary Data Collection - Structured Interviews

• Involves asking each participant the same questions in a one-on-one setting
• Follows a strict interview script for consistency
• Useful when more interaction is needed than a survey
• Advantages: Higher response rates than surveys, misunderstandings can be clarified, controlled environment
• Disadvantages: Time-consuming, expensive, potential interviewer bias

Primary Data Collection - Observations

• Systematically recording behaviors/occurrences without direct interaction
• Structured and observer counts/rates specific behaviors
• Suitable for behaviors, processes, or events in natural settings
• Less biased by self-reporting issues
• Potential for observer bias (Hawthorne effect)

Primary Data Collection - Experiments

• Manipulate one or more independent variables to determine their effect on dependent variables
• Often involves control groups and random assignments
• Establishes causal relationships between variables
• Advantages: High level of control, determines causality
• Disadvantages: Laboratory settings may not reflect real-world conditions, ethical and practical limitations to what can be manipulated

Primary Data Collection - Longitudinal Studies

• Collect data from the same subjects repeatedly over time (weeks, months, years, decades)
• Track changes, identify patterns, trends, and long-term changes
• Establish sequences of events
• Disadvantages: Time-consuming, expensive, potentially high risk of participant drop-outs

Primary Data Collection - Electronic Data Collection

• Use of digital tools (mobile apps, wearable devices, online analytics tools)
• Collect real-time data, large datasets, or data difficult to capture through traditional methods
• Advantages: Large data volumes with minimal effort, real-time data collection, less prone to self-report bias
• Disadvantages: Privacy concerns, reliance on technology, potential data overload

Secondary Data Collection - Public Records and Archives

• Data collected and maintained by governmental agencies, organizations, and institutions (census data, birth records, legal documents)
• Useful for demographic studies, historical research, and policy analysis
• Advantages: Comprehensive datasets, covering extensive periods and large populations, typically reliable
• Disadvantages: May not be tailored to specific research needs, accessing records can be challenging, potential privacy concerns, bureaucratic hurdles

Secondary Data Collection - Official Statistics

• Published by government agencies and international organizations (employment rates, GDP figures, health statistics, education outcomes)
• Useful for macro-level studies (economics, sociology, public health, education)
• High reliability, generally freely available, wide range of topics
• Disadvantages: May not be granular; release frequencies may not match research timelines

Secondary Data Collection - Academic, Corporate, & NGO Research

• Research findings, datasets, and reports from academic institutions, corporations, and NGOs
• Access specialized datasets; often high-quality and subject-specific data
• Costly; may require purchase subscriptions
• Potential biases depending on the source, data specificity might limit broader applicability

Secondary Data Collection - Online Databases and Data Repositories

• Online platforms for storing, cataloging, and accessing datasets
• Google Public Data Explorer; World Bank Data, ICPSR, etc
• Access a wide array of datasets across different fields and subjects
• Improves data analysis efficiency with search and analysis tools
• Disadvantages: Data quality & relevance can vary widely, requires digital literacy to navigate and analyze.

Secondary Data Collection - Commercial Data Providers

• Companies collecting and selling data specialized in particular industries (consumer behavior, media consumption, finance)
• Provides access to high-quality, specialized datasets not publicly available
• Useful for market research, financial analysis
• Disadvantages: Can be very expensive, potential issues with data privacy and ethics

Secondary Data Collection - Literature Reviews

• Comprehensive reviews of existing academic literature, research reports, and publications
• Synthesize and analyze data from multiple studies, providing a broad understanding of a research area
• Advantages: Wide perspective, efficient use of existing data
• Disadvantages: Time-consuming, requires quality & relevance of selected studies, potential publication bias.

Secondary Data Collection - Media Sources

• Information and data from news outlets, magazines, broadcast media, and digital news platforms
• Contemporary and historical data on public opinions, trends, events
• Advantages: Easily accessible, provides insights into public opinion and social trends
• Disadvantages: Potential bias, varying accuracy; may require extensive processing for quantitative analyses.

Validated Survey Instruments

• Undergo rigorous testing for consistency and stability; measure constructs accurately
• Validated against established criteria
• Examples: Financial Behavior Scale (Shim, Xiao, Barber, & Lyons, 2009)

Non-Validated Survey Instruments

• May lack reliability and validity, leading to inaccurate measurements.
• Acknowledge limitations and potential biases in methodology
• Thoroughly described methodology to assess survey robustness

Class Activity - Constructing a Survey

• RQ: Impact of Taylor Swift's music on students' emotional, cognitive, and behavioral aspects and academic well-being
• Validated Survey Instrument: Music Impact Rating Scale (Hays & Minichiello, 2005)
• Google Form Link provided