Research Instruments for Data Collection

Data Collection in Research

• The purpose of data collection in research is to gather information to answer research questions.

Ensuring Representativeness

• A representative sample is designed to ensure that a survey is representative of the wider population.

Research Instruments

• A questionnaire is a research instrument used to gather data through a series of questions.
• Research instruments are methods used to collect data, including questionnaires, surveys, and observational studies.

Types of Data

• There are two types of data: quantitative (numerical) and qualitative (non-numerical).

Importance of Data Collection

• Data collection is a critical part of the research process.

Scales of Measurement

• An ordinal scale orders objects according to their characteristics but does not indicate the difference between ranks.
• A Likert scale is a rating scale that provides respondents' feedback, opinion, or feelings in terms of numerical values.
• An interval scale determines the 'rate' which can be used to link two variables.

Data Collection Methods

• An interview is a research instrument that is a perfect way to obtain accurate knowledge from a single person or a small number of people.
• Participant observation is a method of data collection obtained through observation and involves expert observation and recording of information on the subject.
• In participant observation, the researcher becomes part of the test group.
• Naturalistic observation involves observing the behavior of the test group in a natural environment and not in a laboratory setting.
• Content analysis is a method of data collection that involves findings reported against an accepted checklist.