SELECTING A DATA
COLLECTION METHOD AND
DATA SOURCE
Chapter 10
DATA COLLECTION
METHODS & DATA SOURCES
• Data collection method: a detailed plan of
procedures that aims to gather data for the
purpose of answering a research question
• Data source: the “who” (or “what”) that
supplies the data
– Firsthand data: data provided by people who
have experienced some phenomenon directly
– Secondhand data: an indirect account of a
phenomenon (e.g., case notes, bystander)
DATA COLLECTION AND THE
RESEARCH PROCESS
• Data collection supplies the critical link
between theory and practice
• Data collection is a consideration for each
phase of the research process
– Phase 1: Problem area and research question
– Phase 2: Research design
– Phase 3: Data analysis
– Phase 4: Writing the report
Selecting a Problem Area and
Research Question
• Rethinking the research question from the
data collection point of view, adds depth
and dimension to underlying intention of
the research question
• After the research problem is selected and
the research question formulated, consider
– different data sources available to the study
– different data collection methods suitable
Formulating a Research Design
• Thinking about “research design” from the
data collection point of view, increases the
likelihood that the data collection method
will fit well with the study context and
sample
• The research design specifies when,
where, and how often data are to be
collected
Analyzing Data
• Thinking about “data analysis” from the
data collection point of view will produce
results that have greater clarity
• All data collected should have an obvious
place in the data analysis
Writing the Report
• Thinking about “writing a research report”
from the data collection point of view
brings clarity to the purpose of data
collection
– Consider who is to be the expected audience
of the report
CRITERIA FOR SELECTING A
DATA COLLECTION METHOD
• Eight practical criteria
– Size of study
– Scope of study
– Program participation
– Worker cooperation
– Intrusion into the lives of research participants
– Resources
– Time
– Previous research findings
Size
• The number of people, places or systems
represented in a research study
– The greater the number, the more complex
the data collection process
Scope
• The scope our a research study refers to
breadth or depth of the problem being
investigated
– Do different dimensions of the problem
require different data collection methods?
Program Participation
• Research studies that take place in
agency settings should have the support
of program personnel
– Separate clinical activity and research activity
– Avoid data collection methods that conflict
with clinical philosophy or practices
– Consider agency records as a source of
existing data to avoid duplication of
“paperwork”
Worker Cooperation
• Data collection considerations
– Make every effort to work cooperatively with
the program’s workers
– Be sensitive to the workloads of program
workers
– Establish a way for workers to get feedback
from the data they provide
Intrusion Into the Lives of Research
Participants
• Client self-determination takes precedence
over research activity
– A client will not be denied service for refusing
to participate in a research study
• Cultural considerations
– The fit of the data collection method within the
context of cultural norms
– Cultural bias of standardized measures
– Minority groups that have been “over studied”
Resources
• Data collection is expensive
– Cost of instruments (materials and supplies)
– Training data collectors
– Transportation costs for field research
– Data entry or transcription
Time
• Research projects often have fixed
completion dates, set by
– Dissertation or thesis guidelines
– External pressures
• Funding
• Politics
• Time constraints will influence the choice
of data collection method
Previous Research Studies
• Learn from existing research studies
– Which data collection methods worked best to
study the problem
– Expand upon earlier research by trying
different data collection approaches
SELECTION OF A DATA
COLLECTION METHOD
• Create a decision-making grid to choose a
data the best data collection method
(Table 22.1 for example)
– List the criteria for selection
– List possible data collection methods
– With the research question in mind, assess
each data collection method according to the
set criteria
Decision-making grid (Table 15.1)
__________________________________________________________
Data Collection Methods
___________________________________________________________
Survey
Secondary
Content
Existing
Research
Observation
Analysis
Analysis
Statistics
(Chapter 17) (Chapter 14)
(Chapter 18)
(Chapter 19)
(Chapter 20)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
General Criteria:
1. Size
2. Scope
3. Program participation
4. Worker cooperation
5. Intrusion to clients
6. Resources
7. Time
8. Previous research
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TRYING OUT THE SELECTED
DATA COLLECTION METHOD
• Pilot Study – carrying out all aspects of the
data collection plan on a mini-scale
– Test data collection procedures
– Assess the quality of the data collected
• Data collection methods can also be
“tested” in less formal ways
– Try out a particular aspect of data collection
(e.g., wording of interview questions) with
individuals not involved in planning the study
IMPLEMENTATION AND
EVALUATION
• Use feedback from pilot testing to improve
data collection procedures
• A smooth data collection process requires
proactive planning
Implementation
• The main guiding principle for
implementing a data collection method is
using a systematic approach
– Detail the procedures so that persons
collecting the data are skilled at performing
data collection tasks
– Procedures for qualitative research studies
will be more flexible than procedures for
quantitative studies
Evaluation
• The data collection method for any study
should be evaluated by the researcher
– Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the
data collection method and the data source
– Assess the quality of implementation
• how well data collection procedures were actually
carried out
SUMMARY
• A variety of data collection methods and
data sources can be used in any research
study
• Thinking through the entire research
process from the data collection “point-ofview” can strengthen the study overall
• Researchers must way the pros and cons
to decide upon the best data collection
method for their particular study