Communications Studies: Records & Secondary Data PDF

Tool 2: Records and Secondary 1 Data Examples of sources: ► ► files/records ► computer data bases ► industry or government reports ► other reports or prior evaluations ► census data and household survey dat...

Tool 2: Records and Secondary 1 Data Examples of sources: ► ► files/records ► computer data bases ► industry or government reports ► other reports or prior evaluations ► census data and household survey data ► electronic mailing lists and discussion groups ► documents (budgets, organizational charts, policies and procedures, maps, monitoring reports) ► newspapers and television reports Advantage/Challenge: Available Data 2 Advantages Often less expensive and faster than collecting the original data again Challenges There may be coding errors or other problems. Data may not be exactly what is needed. You may have difficulty getting access. You have to verify validity and reliability of data Tool 3: Observation 3 ► See what is happening ► traffic patterns ► land use patterns ► layout of city and rural areas ► quality of housing ► condition of roads ► conditions of buildings ► who goes to a health clinic Observation is Helpful when: 4 ► need direct information ► trying to understand ongoing behavior ► there is physical evidence, products, or outputs than can be observed ► need to provide alternative when other data collection is infeasible or inappropriate Advantages and Challenges: 5 Observation Advantages Collects data on actual vs. self- reported behavior or perceptions. It is real-time vs. retrospective Challenges Observer bias, potentially unreliable; interpretation and coding challenges; sampling can be a problem; can be labor intensive; low response rates Tool 4: Surveys and Interviews 6 ► Excellent for asking people about: ► perceptions, opinions, ideas ► Less accurate for measuring behavior ► Sample should be representative of the whole ► Big problem with response rates Modes of Survey Administration 7 ► Telephone surveys ► Self-administered questionnaires distributed by mail, e-mail, or websites ► Administered questionnaires, common in the development context ► In development context, often issues of language and translation Mail / Phone / Internet Surveys 8 ► Literacy issues ► Consider accessibility ► reliability of postal service ► turn-around time ► Consider bias ► What population segment has telephone access? Internet access? Advantages and Challenges of Surveys 9 Advantages Best when you want to know what people think, believe, or perceive, only they can tell you that Challenges People may not accurately recall their behavior or may be reluctant to reveal their behavior if it is illegal or stigmatized. What people think they do or say they do is not always the same as what they actually do.  Interviews 10 IPDET © 2009 ► Often semi-structured ► Used to explore complex issues in depth ► Forgiving of mistakes: unclear questions can be clarified during the interview and changed for subsequent interviews ► Can provide evaluators with an intuitive sense of the situation Challenges of Interviews 11 IPDET © 2009 ► Can be expensive, labor intensive, and time consuming ► Selective hearing on the part of the interviewer may miss information that does not conform to pre-existing beliefs ► Cultural sensitivity: e.g., gender issues Tool 5: Focus Groups 12 IPDET © 2009 ► Type of qualitative research where small homogenous groups of people are brought together to informally discuss specific topics under the guidance of a moderator ► Purpose: to identify issues and themes, not just interesting information, and not “counts” Focus Groups Are Inappropriate 13 when: ► language barriers are insurmountable ► evaluator has little control over the situation ► trust cannot be established ► free expression cannot be ensured ► confidentiality cannot be assured