Selecting

Appropriate Data
Collection Methods

Chapter 6

O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 2
It is a capital mistake to theorize before one
has data.

-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as Sherlock Holmes
O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 3
Data Collection Options
Data collection possibilities are wide and
varied with any one method of collection
not inherently better than any other
Each has pros and cons that must be
weighed up in view of a rich and complex
context
O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 4
The Data Collection Process
All methods of collection require rigorous and
systematic design and execution that includes
thorough planning
well considered development
effective piloting
weighed modification
deliberate implementation and execution
appropriate management and analysis
O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 5
Surveys
Surveying involves gathering information from
individuals using a questionnaire
Surveys can
reach a large number of respondents
generate standardized, quantifiable, empirical data -
as well as some qualitative data
and offer confidentiality / anonymity
Designing survey instruments capable of
generating credible data, however, can be
difficult


O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 6
Survey Types
Surveys can be
descriptive or explanatory
involve entire populations or samples of
populations
capture a moment or map trends
can be administered in a number of ways

O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 7
Survey Construction
Survey construction involves
formulating questions and response
categories
writing up background information and
instruction
working through organization and length
determining layout and design

O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 8
Interviewing
Interviewing involves asking respondents a
series of open-ended questions
Interviews can generate both standardized
quantifiable data, and more in-depth qualitative
data
However, the complexities of people and the
complexities of communication can create many
opportunities for miscommunication and
misinterpretation

O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 9
Interview Types
Interviews can range from
formal to informal
structured to unstructured
can be one on one or involve groups

O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 10
Conducting Interviews
When conducting your interviews you will
need to
question, prompt, and probe in ways that help
you gather rich data
actively listen and make sense of what is
being said
manage the overall process

O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 11
Observation
Observation relies on the researchers
ability to gather data though their senses -
and allows researchers to document
actual behaviour rather than responses
related to behaviour
However, the observed can act differently
when surveilled, and observations can be
tainted by a researchers worldview

O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 12
Observation Types
Observation can range from
non-participant to participant
candid to covert
from structured to unstructured

O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 13
The Observation Process
The observation process is sometimes
treated casually, but is a method that
needs to be treated as rigorously as any
other
The process should include planning,
observing, recording, reflecting, and
authenticating

O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 14
Unobtrusive Methods
Unobtrusive methods involve researchers
and research processes that are removed
from the researched
Unobtrusive methods are non-reactive
and capitalize on existing data
But researchers need to work through data
not expressly generated for their proposes
that may contain biases

O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 15
Unobtrusive Methods
Unobtrusive methods include
the exploration of official data and records
corporate data
personal records
the media
the arts
social artefacts

O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 16
The Unobtrusive Process
In order to gather data by unobtrusive
means you need to
know what you are looking for
where you can find it
whether it can be trusted
what you can do with it

O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 17
Experimentation
Experimentation explores cause and effect
relationships by manipulating independent
variables in order to see if there is a
corresponding effect on a dependent
variable

O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 18
Experimentation
Pure experimentation requires both a
controlled environment and the use of a
randomly assigned control group
This can be difficult to achieve in human
centred experiments conducted in the real-
world

O'Leary, Z. (2005) RESEARCHING
REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS: A Guide to
Methods of Inquiry. London: Sage.
Chapter 6. 19
Real-World Experiments
There are many experiments that can only
be carried out in the messy uncontrolled
environments of the real-world, so the
search for cause and effect will require
tradeoffs between real-world contexts and
a controlled environment