Introduction Researchers must be seen to approach data collection from the perspective of  rigor, validity  and  criticality  as was recommended by  Ravitch & Carl, thus data collection process must be treated as  cyclical, emergent ,  recursive  and  iterative  rather than a one-off event. It is important that  researchers base their  data collection processes on thoughtful and reflexivity manner (Ravitch & Carl, 2016, p. 115). Ravitch & Carl (2016) indicated that, “the  skilled questioner and attentive listener know how to enter into another’s experience” (p. 145). Data Collection Methods Data or information collection in any research is key. In order to obtain an effective responses to from interviewees to address the research question(s), the interviewer will need to design his/her research interview process so as to make it potent.  According to  Ravitch & Carl (2016), d ata collection methods include interviews, observation  and  field-notes, focus groups, a review of documents  and  archival data, questionnaires,  and  participatory methods  of data collection (p. 145). Interview method:  This is one of the widely used data collection methods by researchers.  Interviewing is a social interaction that involve the interviewer and interviewee sharing in the construction of a story and its meanings (Holstein & Gubrium, 1995. Cited in  Ravitch & Carl 2016,  p. 146).  Interviewing is an art with the intent of inviting the participant to provide as much information as possible for a study (Walden University, 2016). A  qualitative interview  is a  conversations  in which a researcher gently guides a conversational partner in an extended discussion; the researcher elicits depth and detail about the research topic by following up on answers given by the interviewee during the discussion” (Rubin & Rubin, 2012).  A strong and effective interview strategies not only engage the interviewee, but also enable the interviewee to provide clear and useful information (Walden University, 2016). For instance, in using the interviewing method, I was able to explain to my respondents the main objective of my research and also addressed the grey areas of the questions. Using open-ended questions, I was able to tap from the vast experience and knowledge of some of the respondents who provided a broader and in-depth information towards my research objectives.              However this method of data collection is not devoid of limitations; from my own personal experience, I observed that some of the respondents presented a distorted or “formalistic” responses in an attempt to impress me. Hence for me to address the imbalance, I was mindful of not using my  body language to intimate coerce the respondents. Nonetheless,  pretesting the interviewing method will enable the researcher to fine-tune the interviewing process and also ask relevant questions “as new information” emerges during the main interview. Observation/Fieldnotes :  Observation and fieldnotes is ...

1. Introduction
Researchers must be seen to approach data collection from the
perspective of
rigor, validity
and
criticality
as was recommended by
Ravitch & Carl, thus data
collection process must be treated as
cyclical, emergent
,
recursive
and
iterative
rather than a one-off event. It is important that
researchers base their
data collection
processes on thoughtful and reflexivity manner (Ravitch & Carl,
2016, p. 115).
Ravitch & Carl (2016) indicated that, “the
skilled questioner and attentive listener know how to enter into
another’s experience” (p. 145).
Data Collection Methods
Data or information collection in any research is key. In order
to obtain an effective responses to from interviewees to address
the research question(s), the interviewer will need to design
his/her research interview process so as to make it potent.
According to
Ravitch & Carl (2016), d
ata collection methods include
interviews, observation
and
field-notes, focus groups, a review of documents

2. and
archival data, questionnaires,
and
participatory methods
of data collection (p. 145).
Interview method:
This is one of the widely used data collection methods by
researchers.
Interviewing is a social interaction that involve the interviewer
and interviewee sharing in the construction of a story and its
meanings (Holstein & Gubrium, 1995. Cited in
Ravitch & Carl 2016,
p. 146).
Interviewing is an art with the intent of inviting the participant
to provide as much information as possible for a study (Walden
University, 2016). A
qualitative interview
is a
conversations
in which a researcher gently guides a conversational partner in
an extended discussion; the researcher elicits depth and detail
about the research topic by following up on answers given by
the interviewee during the discussion” (Rubin & Rubin, 2012).
A strong and effective interview strategies not only engage the
interviewee, but also enable the interviewee to provide clear
and useful information (Walden University, 2016). For instance,
in using the interviewing method, I was able to explain to my
respondents the main objective of my research and also
addressed the grey areas of the questions. Using open-ended
questions, I was able to tap from the vast experience and
knowledge of some of the respondents who provided a broader
and in-depth information towards my research objectives.
However this method of data collection is not devoid of
limitations; from my own personal experience, I observed that
some of the respondents presented a distorted or “formalistic”

3. responses in an attempt to impress me. Hence for me to address
the imbalance, I was mindful of not using my
body language to intimate coerce the respondents. Nonetheless,
pretesting the interviewing method will enable the researcher to
fine-tune the interviewing process and also ask relevant
questions “as new information” emerges during the main
interview.
Observation/Fieldnotes
:
Observation and fieldnotes is an important qualitative method
because it allows for the researcher to see and record firsthand
the activities in which research participants are engaged in (
Ravitch & Carl 2016). It
explores and describes the mediating contexts on
behavior, attitudes, beliefs, and interactions
, including
organizational, relational
, and
cultural knowledge;
it is interpretive and naturalistic approaches to understanding
people and activities in their multiple and intersecting contexts
(p. 160).
The strengths of observation and fieldnotes are central to the
following (
Ravitch & Carl 2016, p. 161):
When combined with other data collection methods, can produce
or serve to enhance the validity of the information so collected.
Observation and fieldnotes can be flexible and exploratory.
Reviewing your fieldnotes over time can allow for the building
of insight into the roles, contexts, and realities of the research
setting and people within it over time.
However in spite of its merits,
observation and fieldnotes
as a data collection method, is without limitations (

4. Ravitch & Carl 2016, p. 161).
These include:
The issues of reliability and transferability could be
compromised since observational sample of the individuals may
not be representative of the target population and/or the
behaviors observed may not be representative.
Since observation is interpretive and thus inferential, it can
reflect researcher biases and assumptions.
Again through the Issues of
reactivity,
the researcher can affects the behaviors and processes observed
in the research as a result of being there can impact the
observations of respondents.
Reactivity
denote a situation where individuals shift or change their
actions through direct observation rather than being natural
and/or authentic.
Focus groups:
Traditionally,
focus group research is “a way of collecting qualitative data,
which—essentially involves engaging a small number of people
in an informal group discussion(s) ‘focused’ around a particular
topic or set of issues.” Focus group data can arise from one of
the following three types: individual data, group data, and/or
group interaction data (Onwuegbuzie et al. 2009). Focus group
theorists disagree as to the most appropriate unit of analysis for
focus group data to analyze (i.e., individual, group, or
interaction).
This method of data collection (focus groups) draw its strength
from the synergy that can be generated from
groupthink,
which is when an individual introduces a topic and the rest of
the group focuses on this topic and ultimately generates a group

5. understanding (
Ravitch & Carl 2016, p. 167)
. Focus groups can be engage alongside with interviewing
method of data collection to generate more useful and
appropriate information.
Despite the widespread use of focus groups in the social and
behavioral sciences and the number of books and articles
devoted to this methodology, it is surprising that few explicit
guidelines exist on how to analyze focus group data in social
science research (Onwuegbuzie et al. 2009).
Aligning my choice of data collection with my research
questions: Drawing my experience from the Major Assignment
1, my stake for the data collection methods will be interviewing
through
focus groups
. The
“groups” can build on and create ideas as a collective that
yields robust and relationally grounded data. Groupthink is a
common aspect of focus groups, and if you are focusing on
individuals’ unique and specific experiences, focus groups may
not be the right method.
A major attractive force of focus
groups is that it allow participants to comment in relation to
each other’s thoughts, experiences, and responses to specific
questions and therefore generate emergent topics for group
inquiry and discussion that go beyond responses to the
questions on the instrument (
Ravitch & Carl 2016, p. 167)
.
Conclusion
Considering the complexity and the nature of the ecosystem
from which researchers obtain information, it may be
appropriate in some instances, for researchers to engage a

6. hybrid of the data collection methods (such as asking for stories
during and interviewing).
References
Laureate Education (Producer). (2016).
Doctoral research: Interviewing techniques, part one
[Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Onwuegbuzie, A. J., Dickinson, W. B, Leech, N. L., and Zoran,
A. G. (2009). A qualitative framework for collecting and
analyzing data in focus group research.
International Journal of Qualitative Methods and International
Institute for Qualitative Methodology
. (pp. 1-21).
Ravitch, S. M., & Carl, N. M. (2016).
Qualitative research: Bridging the conceptual, theoretical, and
methodological
. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Rubin, H. J., & Rubin, I. S. (2012).
Qualitative interviewing: The art of hearing data
(3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.