METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION

Class Outline

Meaning of data
Data vs information
Types of data
Methods of data collection
 Methods of Data Collection
Data
• Data (singular datum) mean any information
concerning a topic, which are collected purposively
from various sources and stored with secured
conditions.
• E.g.: numbers, words, symbols, ideas, concepts etc.
and are obtained by observation, investigation,
interpretation, visualisation and mental creation.
 Data vs Information
• Data are plain facts/raw materials. When data are
processed, organized, structured or presented in a given
context so as to make them useful, they are called
Information.
• Data in themselves are fairly useless. But when these data
are interpreted and processed to determine its true
meaning, they become useful and can be called
Information.
Example
• Each student's test score is one piece of data
• The class' average score or the school's average score is
the information that can be concluded from the given
data.
 Some differences between data and information

• Data is used as input for the computer system. Information

is the output of data.
• Data is unprocessed facts figures. Information is processed
data.
• Data doesn’t depend on Information. Information depends
on data.
• Data is not specific. Information is specific.
• Data is a single unit. A group of data which carries news
and meaning is called Information.
• Data doesn’t carry a meaning. Information must carry a
logical meaning.
• Data is the raw material. Information is the product.
Information is created from data.

Data Data Data

Processing

Information
 Types of Data
A. Based on quality and numerical value
i) Qualitative data
ii) Quantitative data
a) Discrete data
b) Continuous data
B. Based on source of data
i) Primary data
ii) Secondary data
 Methods of Data Collection
1. Interviews
1.1 Individual interview
1.2 Group interview
1.3 Key informant interview
2. Questionnaire method Conventional method
2.1 Distributed questionnaire
2.2 Mailed questionnaire
3. Case studies
4. Observations
5. Study of records/documents
6. Participatory methods
6.1 Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA)
6.2 Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)
 Individual Interview
• One person (interviewer) secures information from another person
(interviewee/respondent) on a specific issue in a face-to-face setting.

Advantages
• Factual and useful information
• Data original and possess a high degree of accuracy
• Has the opportunity to be flexible while asking questions to the
respondent directly
• Easy to get complete answers

Limitations
• Need well-trained and experienced interviewer
• Not useful if the area of investigation is wide
• Personal prejudice of the investigator
• Requires time and high transportation costs
 Group Interview
When a number of respondents is brought together in a group and asked
them to respond to a structured/semi-structured sequence of questions.
Advantages
1. Access to data collection quickly (e.g. information about a community)
2. Ensures a high response
3. Cross-check on information
4. Little cost, easy to administer and little travelling is needed
Limitations
5. Respondents may communicate to each other
6. Influenced by people of strong opinions in the group
7. Not good for discussions of sensitive information
8. Requires more advance planning and preparation
9. Difficult to manage when an interview is with more than 25 people.
 Key Informant Interview
A key informant is a person, who has unique skills or professional
background related to the issue under consideration.
Examples : village head, landlord, model farmer.
Advantages
• Information from an ‘insider’ point of view
• Helps become familiar with the area under investigation
• Increases credibility of the study
• Sound basis for formulating strategies for rural development
Limitations
• Takes time to select good informants and build trust
• Key informant may give his/her own impressions and biases
• Disagreements between investigator and key informant
• May have to be combined with other methods
 Mailed Questionnaire
Pre-designed questionnaires are sent by mail to the respondents,
who fill the questionnaires and return them to the investigator/data
collector by mail as well.

Advantages
• Easy, quick and relatively inexpensive method
• Can reach a wide geographic distribution of people
• Collected data are free of any interviewer bias
• Respondents, who are not easily approachable, can also be reached
conveniently

Limitations
• Low rate of return of the duly filled in questionnaires
• Incomplete answers of the respondents
• When respondents educated and cooperating
 Distributed Questionnaire
Pre-designed questionnaires are distributed to a group of
respondents, who fill the questionnaires by themselves and
submit these to the investigator/data collector.

Advantages
• High rate of return of the duly filled in questionnaires
• Respondents can ask questions to the investigator
• Possibility of getting complete answers

Limitations
• When respondents are educated and cooperating
• Difficult to get detailed answers of the respondents
 Case Studies
The case study is a qualitative method of data collection, which deals with
an in-depth understanding of a particular social unit, for example, a person,
a family, a group and an institution.
Advantages
• Usually yields richest and in-depth data
• Provides opportunity to analysis a phenomenon critically
• Permits to explain/clarify questions to get complete and accurate data
• Allows interviewer to be flexible
Limitations
• Needs well-qualified, highly trained interviewer
• Distort information through recall error, selective perceptions, desire to
please interviewer
• Difficult to transcribe and reduce data
• Generalization of the findings may not be possible
• Difficult to collect historical data
• Expensive and time-consuming
 Observations
Observation can be defined as the careful and systematic watching
of events, relationship, behaviour and facts as they occur in the course of
nature.

Advantages
• Gets first hand information about a specific area
• Helps to observe the behaviour under natural condition
• Possible to get hidden facts
• Wide variety of intimate details
• Authenticity, validity and cross-checking of the data

Limitations
• Need well-qualified and highly trained observers
• Chance to get distorted data because of observer’s self-value (e.g.
emotion) and personal biases (e.g. observation regarding severe floods,
conflicts)
• Sometimes not possible to have close observation (e.g. observing the
 Study of Records/Documents
Data on a particular unit (e.g. rural community/region) can be collected
from a variety of official, historical or other sources. E.g. BBS, UP, DLS
Advantages
• Historical background to the particular unit of study and population
• Valuable background facts on a particular community, region or
ethnic group
• Provide a baseline against which present conditions can be
compared and contrasted
• Helps to obtain data directly from the records
• Helps to get historical data
• Provides important guidance for future strategies
Limitations
• Records might be out-of-date
• Data may be incomplete
• Very limited opportunity to verify the accuracy of recorded data
 Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA)
RRA is a method of obtaining first-hand idea and information about

villages, people, resources, institutions, infrastructure and public

services through informal discussions with villagers, local elite,
personnel of different organisations working in the locality etc.
Advantages
• Enables to gather useful information within a very short time
• Suitable for identifying and evaluating rural situations, for
analyzing a special problem (e.g. violence against rural women),
for focusing on a certain issue (e.g. educating rural girls) or for
gaining an initial orientation in a project area
Limitations
• Researcher needs to be adjusted with local conditions
• Needs cross-checking of information, that is, needs to use a
Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)
• PRA is a set of informal techniques used by
development practitioners in rural areas to
collect and analyze data.
• Outsiders facilitate local people in analysing
their own living conditions, problems and
potentials, practicing critical self-awareness,
taking responsibility and sharing their
knowledge of life and conditions to plan and
act.
Advantages of PRA
• Useful when the respondents are mostly illiterate
• Helps to learn from several sources and disciplines and to draw
information from a range of people (i.e. triangulation)
• Encourages participation of greater community in development,
especially the poor in data collection and analysis
• Enables development workers, government officials and local people
to work together in planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation
of development programmes

Limitations
• Needs well-trained facilitator
• Covers relatively few topics in a small area
• Needs logistical arrangements (e.g. accommodations, food, vehicles,
flip charts, papers, markers, photographs, leaves, seeds etc.)
• Gather only qualitative information
Thanks for patience
hearing!!!