Data Collection
Facilitator:
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdul Hamid b. Hj. Mar Iman
Director
Centre for Real Estate Studies
Faculty of Engineering and Geoinformation Science
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Skudai, Johor
Objectives of Lecture
Basic issues of data collection
Principles of data collection
Instrumentation
Sampling
 What I will not do: To teach every bit and
pieces of data collection
Basic Issues
 Main questions:
* Study objectives?
* What is being investigated?
* Attributes & variables involved?
* Variable measurement?
* Method of data collection?
 Main problems with data:
* Sufficient amount but irrelevant
* Relevant but insufficient
* Too much data, some useless
 Implications:
* Waste of resources
* Loose analysis
* Non-fulfilling objectives
* Unresolved research questions
* Lack of quality thesis
Determining Data
 Research issue, objectives, hypotheses?
* Maintaining the “thesis”
* What are involved in maintaining your idea, testing
hypotheses, etc.
* What “answers” to be required
 In what way research issue is to be operationalised?
* What cause-and-effect phenomenon to be explained?
* What variables are involved?
* What data required for the variables?
* How to measure them?
 Types of data
* Primary
* Secondary
Principles of Data Collection
 What types of data required?
 Collect only relevant data
 Determine methods of data collection
* Survey/questionnaire
* Observation, participatory
* Standard instruments
* Content analysis, etc
 Where, who, how, and when to collect
* Research design
* Sampling procedure
* Prepare field work schedule/data plan
* Conduct preliminary investigation
 Assess situation and prepare further strategies
Data plan
Scope of data
Type
Method
Source
1.
Geography
Secondary
MPJBT, UTM
2.
Jemaah
Primary
Sample
Mosque in
Skudai
3.
Tenants
Primary
Sample
Residential area
in Skudai
4.
Patrons
Primary
Sample
Shops in Skudai
5.
Public users
Primary
Sample
Public facilities in
Skudai
Instrumentation
A process of selecting and developing research tool for the
purpose of data collection
 Examples of instrument:
* Questionnaire
* Interview checklist
* Observational form
* Attitude/view scale
* Content analysis form
* Researcher-designed achievement test
 Depends on method of study

Method of Study and Instrument
Method of study
Descriptive
Correlation
Ex-post
fact
o
Action
Evaluation
Questionnaire
X
X
X
Interview schedule
X
X
X
Observation form
X
X
X
X
Attitude/opinion scale
X
X
X
X
Content analysis form
X
X
X
X
Researcher-designed achievement test
X
X
X
Standard achievement test
X
X
X
Aptitude test
X
Ability test
X
Interest inventory
X
X
Projection measurement
X
X
Important aspects of instrumentation
• Reliability: can it produce consistent
results?
• Validity: can it fulfill the required
function?
• Feasibility: can it fulfill the need of the
researcher→ Reliable? Valid?
Questionnaire






Crystallise research issue and objectives
List specific questions w.r.t. the issue & objectives
Identify & list key words and their relationships
Identify cause-and-effect explanation by relating all
the keywords
Identify how to operationalise the issue
* define concepts
* identify variables
* variable measurement
Construct questionnaire table
* Related questions that address issue & objectives
Sampling
• An important aspect of data collection
• A requirement when the study attempts to
make deduction about the population
• A systematic process that post graduate
researchers should be familiar with
Thank you!