Data collection

methods/techniques

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 Learning Objectives
At the end of this session the participant
will be able to:
• Understand the different techniques and
tools of data collection
• Use appropriate data collection techniques
when planning and conducting research

2
Commonly used data collection
techniques
• Using available information/Document
review
• Observation
• Interviewing (face-to-face)
• Administering written questionnaires
• Focus group discussions

3
 Using available information
• Analysis of the information routinely
collected by health facilities is very useful
for identifying problems

• Other sources of available data –

newspapers, published case histories etc

4
 Using available information
cont…
• Advantage of available data – collection is inexpensive
• Disadvantage of existing data:
– It is some times difficult to gain access to records or
reports
– Data may not always be complete and precise
enough, or too disorganized

5
 Observation
Observation is a technique that involves
systematically selecting, watching and recording
behavior and characteristics of living beings,
objects or phenomena

6
 Observation cont…
Observation of human behavior can be
undertaken in different ways:
A) participant observation – observer
takes part in the situation he or she
observes
Eg. A doctor hospitalized with a broken
hip, who now observes hospital
procedures ‘from within’

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 Observation cont…
B) Non-participant observation – observer
watches the situation, openly or
concealed, but does not participate

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 Observation cont…
• Observation can give additional, more
accurate information on behavior of people
than interviews or questionnaires
• as observations are time consuming they
are most often used in small scale studies
• Observations can also be made on objects
E.g the presence or absence of latrines
and the state of cleanliness
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 Interviewing
• It involves oral questioning of respondents,
either individually or as a group

• Answers can be recorded by:

– writing them down
– tape-recording
– combination of them
• Interviews can be conducted with varying
degree of flexibility (high degree of flexibility Vs
low degree of flexibility)
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 Interview cont…
Qualitative Interviews (In-Depth Interview)
• Qualitative interview is a process of two people
understanding each other

Key Informant Interview

• Key Informant interview is an in-depth interview with a key
informant
• Key informant is an individual selected due to his
knowledge, previous experience and social status
• Selection is not random and there is potential for bias

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 Interview cont…
Types of interviews
• structured interviews
• unstructured interviews
• semi-structured interviews

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 Interview cont…
Structured interviews (standardized
interviews)
• Often used in quantitative research
• There is low degree of flexibility
• the same set of questions are asked, in
the same order, using the same words, to
different interviewees

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 Interview cont…
Unstructured interviews
• Interviews without predetermined set of
questions
• Researchers and interviewees talk freely
• Often used in combination with observation
• Interview is flexible and highly responsive to
individual differences and emerging new
information
• Researchers have to generate relevant
questions based on their interaction with the
interviewees 14
 Interview cont…
Semi-structured interviews (Guided
Interview)
• Researchers prepare interview guides that
consist of a set of questions to initiate
discussion
• Researchers generate other questions
(probes) in interesting areas of inquiry
during the interviews
• Widely used as the qualitative interview
method
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 Interview cont…
Qualitative Interview – Advantage
• Usually yield richest data
• Permit face-to-face contact with
respondents
• Provide opportunity to explore topics in
depth
• Flexible according to particular individuals
or circumstances - allow explaining or
clarifying questions 16
 Interview cont…
Qualitative Interview –Disadvantage
• Expensive and time-consuming
• Need well-qualified (highly trained) interviewers
• Interviewee may distort information due to the
desire to please interviewer
• Flexibility can result in inconsistencies across
interviews
• Volume of information too large; may be difficult
to transcribe and reduce data
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Administering written questionnaires
(self-administered questionnaire)

Written questions are presented that

are to be answered by the
respondents in written form

18
 Administering written
questionnaires cont…
A written questionnaire can be administered in different
ways, such as by:
• Sending questionnaires by mail
• Gathering all or part of the respondents in one place at
one time, giving oral or written instructions, and letting
them fill out the questionnaires
• Hand-delivering questionnaires to respondents and
collecting them later

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 Administering written
questionnaires cont…
Advantages:
• less expensive
• permits anonymity & may result in more
honest responses
• does not require research assistants
• eliminates bias due to phrasing questions
differently with different respondents

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 Administering written
questionnaires cont…
Disadvantages:
• Cannot be used with illiterates
• there is often a low rate of response
• questions may be misunderstood

21
 Focus Group Discussion/
Interview
• One or two researchers and several participants
meet as a group to discuss a given research
topic
• Focused - guided by a set of specific topics
(questions)
• Participants are generally homogenous on
particular characteristics of relevance to the
topic
• Encourages group interaction - participants can
influence and be influenced by other participants
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 FGD cont…
• Complement other methods - Important to
develop culturally relevant questionnaire
• Number of people: small enough for
everyone to have a chance to talk, large
enough to provide diversity of opinions
(Usually 8-12)

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 FGD cont…
Use of Focus Group Discussion
• When group interaction will help address
your research question: bring out diverse
points of view
• When breadth of data is more important
than depth
• topic is NOT sensitive

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 FGD cont…
FGD: Advantages
• Do not discriminate against people who
can not read and write
• Encourages participants reluctant to be
interviewed
• Participant interaction helps weed out false
and extreme views
• Help researcher to know expressions and
slang 25
 FGD cont…
FGD: Disadvantages
• The results are more subject to
interpretive bias and error
• Analysis process is more time-consuming
• Investigator risks getting too much
unnecessary information

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 Differences between data collection
techniques and data collection tools
Data collection techniques Data collection tools
Using available information Checklist; data compilation
forms

Observation Eyes and other senses,

pen/paper, watch, scales,
microscope, etc..

Interviewing Interview guide, checklist,

questionnaire, tape recorder

Administering written Questionnaire

questionnaire
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 References
• Bowling A. Research Methods in Health. Investigating Health and Health Services. Open
University Press, 2000
• John W. Creswell. Research Design. Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Method Approaches
(third edn). SAGE Publications, Inc., 2009
• Davies M. Brett. Doing a successful research project. Using Qualitative or Quantitative Methods.
Palgrave macmillan, 2007

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