Success Story: Methods of Collecting Information Dr A.S.Charyulu

Where do I begin? What kind of information are you looking for? - Do you want facts? Opinions? News reports? Research studies? Analyses? Personal reflections? History? Where would be a likely place to look? - Which sources are likely to be most useful to you? Libraries? The Internet? Academic periodicals? Newspapers? Videos? Government records?.......or straight from the field? How much information do you need? - How many sources of information are you looking for? Do you need to view both sides of the issue?

What kind of information are you looking for?

- Do you want facts? Opinions? News reports? Research studies? Analyses? Personal reflections? History?

Where would be a likely place to look?

- Which sources are likely to be most useful to you? Libraries? The Internet? Academic periodicals? Newspapers? Videos? Government records?.......or straight from the field?

How much information do you need?

- How many sources of information are you looking for? Do you need to view both sides of the issue?

Internet Sources: - Anything published exclusively online in a variety of digital formats. Material includes: web pages, PDF documents, ebooks, multimedia. Traditional Publications: - Books, textbooks, newspapers, popular and scholarly journals, and magazines. Information Resources The Internet may be the most convenient place to begin your research, but it is not always the best. Many traditional resources are now available online.

Internet Sources:

- Anything published exclusively online in a variety of digital formats. Material includes: web pages, PDF documents, ebooks, multimedia.

Traditional Publications:

- Books, textbooks, newspapers, popular and scholarly journals, and magazines.

The Internet may be the most convenient place to begin your research, but it is not always the best.

Many traditional resources are now available online.

Websites: Websites vary widely in quality of information and validity of sources. Weblogs / Blogs: A type of interactive journal where writers post and readers respond. Message boards, discussion lists, and chat rooms: Exist for all kinds of disciplines. Multimedia: resources including online broadcasts and news, images, audio files, and interactive websites. New tools: Social Networking - Facebook, MySpace, SlideShare, YouTube Internet Resources

Websites: Websites vary widely in quality of information and validity of sources.

Weblogs / Blogs: A type of interactive journal where writers post and readers respond.

Message boards, discussion lists, and chat rooms: Exist for all kinds of disciplines.

Multimedia: resources including online broadcasts and news, images, audio files, and interactive websites.

New tools: Social Networking - Facebook, MySpace, SlideShare, YouTube

Internet Resources

A good researcher knows how to use both primary and secondary sources Why Primary Research? Research isn't limited to published material or secondery sources. Many topics may not have printed information sources. Collecting information directly from the field Primary research is any type of research that you go out and collect first hand information.

A good researcher knows how to use both primary

and secondary sources

Why Primary Research?

Research isn't limited to published material or secondery sources.

Many topics may not have printed information sources.

Collecting information directly from the field

Primary research is any type of research that you go out and collect first hand information.

When you are working on a local problem that may not have been addressed before and little research is there to back it up. When you are working on writing about a specific group of people or a specific individual. When you are working on a topic that is innovative or original and every one may like to adapt it. When you want to confirm or dispute with general policies or programmes with local conditions. What to research?

When you are working on a local problem that may not have been addressed before and little research is there to back it up.

When you are working on writing about a specific group of people or a specific individual.

When you are working on a topic that is innovative or original and every one may like to adapt it.

When you want to confirm or dispute with general policies or programmes with local conditions.

What to research?

Surveys: questioning large group of people. Interviewing: one-on-one or small group question and answer sessions. Observations: organized notes about specific people, events, or locales. Analysis: collecting data and organizing it in some fashion based on criteria you develop. PRA: techniques used for gathering information on community resources and needs for use in literacy and community development programs. Research methods

Surveys: questioning large group of people.

Interviewing: one-on-one or small group question and answer sessions.

Observations: organized notes about specific people, events, or locales.

Analysis: collecting data and organizing it in some fashion based on criteria you develop.

PRA: techniques used for gathering information on community resources and needs for use in literacy and community development programs.

Research methods

What do I want to discover? How do I plan research methodology Who am I going to talk to/observe/survey? How am I going to be able gain access to these groups or individuals? What are my biases about this topic? How can I make sure my biases are not reflected in my research methods? What do I expect to discover? Ask these questions

What do I want to discover?

How do I plan research methodology

Who am I going to talk to/observe/survey?

How am I going to be able gain access to these groups or individuals?

What are my biases about this topic?

How can I make sure my biases are not reflected in my research methods?

What do I expect to discover?

Ask these questions

The End