This module discusses research instruments and methods for collecting data. It describes various qualitative and quantitative data collection tools, including interviews, surveys, observations, and experiments. It provides examples of structured, unstructured, and semi-structured interviews. The module also discusses validating data collection tools through expert validation, test-retest, and split-half methods. Finally, it offers tips for constructing an appropriate research instrument, including defining objectives, question structure, and question design.

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UNIT 2: DEVELOPMENT OF RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS
2.0 Intended Learning Outcomes
With this module, the students will be able to attain the following intended
learning outcomes:
a. Describe the various methods of collecting data.
b. Construct appropriate instrument for data collection.
c. Validate the constructed or adopted research instruments.
2.1 Introduction
The term research instrument refers to any tool that you
may use to collect or obtain data, measure data and analyze data
that is relevant to the subject of your research. Research
instruments are often used in the fields of social sciences and
health sciences. These tools can also be found within education
that relates to patients, staff, teachers and students.
The format of a research instrument may consist of
questionnaires, surveys, interviews, checklists or simple tests.
The choice of which specific research instrument tool to use will
be decided on the by the researcher. It will also be strongly
related to the actual methods that will be used in the specific
study (DiscoverPhDs, 2020).
The correct use of appropriate data collection method
reducesthe likelihoodof errors consistent with the results.A key
reason for collecting data, be it through quantitative or
qualitative methods is to ensure that the integrity of research
questions is indeed maintained (Formplus Blog, 2019).
This unit will help you construct your own research
instrument or data collection tool which later help you in the
attainment of your research questions or objectives.
How important a research instrument in the completion
of your research study?

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2.2 Topics/Discussion
2.2.1 Various Methods of Collecting Data
2.2.1.2 Qualitative Data Collection Tools
From the work of Amelia and Wahyuningsih (2014), presented the
definition of Data and Data Collection Tools for Qualitative Research
Approach. According to them Data refers to the rough materials researchers
collect from the world they are studying. Data are both evidence and clues.
Here are some of the Data Collection Tools used for Qualitative Research
Approach:
(1) INTERVIEW
An interviews is a purposefulinteraction in which one person obtains
information from another. There are three types of interviews, structured,
unstructured, and semi-structured.
Structured interview is a formal interview in which researchers has
specified a set planned questions that elicits the same questions from the
interviewees.
Example of structured interview questions:
1. Describe a time when you were faced with problems or stresses at
work that tested your coping skills. What did you do?
2. Give an example of a time when you could not participate in a
discussion or could not finish a task because you did not have enough
information. What did you do?
3. Tellabout a time when you had to useyour spokencommunication
skills in order to get a point across that was important to you. How did you
make your point? What technique or skill worked for you?
Unstructured interview is an informal interview that allows
researchers to obtain more complex or personal information.
Example of unstructured interview questions:
1. What are you doingfor a livingnow? (Subsidiary topics/questions,
to trace work and post-compulsory school histories).
2. How many children do you have, their ages/genders? (Subsidiary
topics/questions, to explore aspirations for their own children and begin to
probe indirectly into marital histories and stability of family relationships).
3. Where did you go when you first left the Home? Were you
apprenticed? Where were you living (Subsidiary topics/questions, to

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explore the transition from institution to independence and begin to probe
early coping strategies and continuing dependence on the Home).
Semi-structured, the interview in which the interviewer has general
idea or framework, but does not enter the interview with a list of
predetermined questions.
Example of semi-structured:
Interviewer: What were your views or feelings about the
presentation of different culture, as show in, for example, Jungle Cruise or
it’s a Small World at the Magic Kingdom or in World Showcase Epcot?
Wife: Well,I thought the different countriesat Epcotwere wonderful,
but I need to say more than that, don’t I.
Guidelines for Interviewing:
 Listen more, talk less.
 Do not interrupt.
 Avoid leading questions.
 Keep participants focused and ask for concrete details.
 Follow up on what they say.
 Do not be judgmental about their views.
 Do not debate with them over their responses.
(2) FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEW
Also known as Focus Group Discussion, it includes several
individualswho can contribute to interviewer understandingof the research
problem.
Example: TOPIC 1: Needs
Participants are given 25 minutes to discuss their answers on the following
questions:
1. To start off, tell us about your average trip to the library.
a. PROBE: What activities do you use the library for?
b. PROBE: How long does your visit usually last?
c. PROBE: What sections of the library do you study in?
Collecting the Data in Interviews:
 Taking notes during the interview.
 Writing notes after the interview.
 Audio- or videotaping the interview.

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(3) INTROSPECTIVE METHOD
It is a method for studying thought process, designed to help
researchers to derive insights into the mental process underlying observable
behavior. There are two types of introspective method, the verbal reports
and the diary studies.
Verbal Reports are oral record of thoughts. There are two types of
verbal reports think loud and retrospective. For think loud, the learners are
asked to verbalize their thought processes while they are involved in
processing language.
Example of Verbal Reports:
SESILIA: At times I had the curious feeling that he was trying to make up
his mind about me, asking himself to make up his mind about me, asking
himself if I were friend or foe. (0.1) Foe. Lawan katanya friend mungkin,
(0.5). Foe, foe, foe, foe foe, (0.2) Ya, eh, eh, musuh.
Retrospective, the learners to verbalize their thought processes
immediately after they process the language. These focused more on
listening and speaking task.
The general strategies used by Block in verbal reports: (1) anticipate
content; (2) recognize text structure; (3) integrate information; (4) question
information in the text; (5) interpret the text; (6) use general knowledge and
associations; (7) comment on behavior or process; (8) monitor
comprehension; (9) correct behavior; (10) react to the text.
(4) OBSERVATION
 In this method, the researcher takes a participatorystance, immersing
himself in the setting where his respondentsare, and generallytaking
a look at everything, while taking down notes.
 Aside from note-taking, other documentation methods may be used,
such as video and audio recording, photography, and the use of
tangible items such as artifacts, mementoes, and other tools.
2.2.2.2 Quantitative Data Collection Tools
Data can be readily quantified and generated into numerical form,
which will then be converted and processed into useful information
mathematically. The result isoften in the form of statistics that is meaningful
and, therefore, useful. Unlike qualitative methods, these quantitative
techniques usually make use of larger sample sizes because its measurable
nature makes that possible and easier (Aryal, 2020).

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Here are the data collection tools for quantitative approach:
(1) QUANTITATIVE SURVEYS
Unlike the open-ended questions asked in qualitative questionnaires,
quantitative paper surveys pose closed questions, with the answer options
provided. The respondents will only have to choose their answer among the
choices provided on the questionnaire.
Example:
(2) QUANTITATIVE INTERVIEWS
Personal one-on-one interviews may also be used for gathering
quantitative data. In collecting quantitative data, the interview is more
structured than when gathering qualitative data, comprised of a prepared
set of standard questions.
These interviews can take three forms, the face-to-face, telephone and/or
online, web-based, and computer assisted interviews.
Face-to-face interview. Much likewhen conducting interviews to gather
qualitative data, this can also yield quantitative data when standard
questions are asked.
Telephone and/or online, web based interview. Conducting interviews
over the telephone is no longer a new concept. Rapidly rising to take the
place of telephone interviews is the video interview via internet connection
and web-based applications, such as Skype, Google Form, Facebook
Videocall, Google Meet, Zoom, and the like.
Computer-assisted interviews. This is called CAPI, or Computer-
Assisted Personal Interviewing where, in a face-to-face interview, the data
obtained from the interviewee will be entered directly into a database
through the use of a computer.
Quantitative Interviews Questions Examples (Mostly aid to
quantifiable data):

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1. What is the average class size for the Elementary Grades in
the Philippines?
2. How many times a day do a pupil read his or her book?
3. What is the best evaluation method to use when evaluating an
instructional technology?
(3) QUANTITATIVE OBSERVATION
 This is straightforward enough. Data may be collected through
systematic observation by, say, counting the number of users
present and currently accessing services in a specific area, or the
number of services being used within a designated vicinity
 When quantitative data is being sought, the approach is
naturalistic observation, which mostly involves using the senses
and keen observation skills to get data about the “what”, and not
really about the “why” and “how”.
(4) EXPERIMENTS
Quantitative researches often make use of experiments to gather
data, and the types of experiments are:
Laboratory Experiments. This is your typical scientific experiment
setup, taking place within a confined, closed and controlled
environment (the laboratory), with the data collector being able to have
strict control over all the variables. This level of control also implies that
he can fully and deliberately manipulate the independent variable.
Field experiments. This takes place in a natural environment, “on
field” where, although the data collector may not be in full control of
the variables, he is still able to do so up to a certain extent. Manipulation
is still possible, although not as deliberate as in a laboratory setting.
Natural Experiments. This time, the data collector has no control
over the independent variable whatsoever, which means it cannot be
manipulated. Therefore, what can only be done is to gather data by
letting the independent variable occur naturally, and observe its effects.
2.2.2.3 Validation of Data Collection Tool (Instrument)
The following terms are important to understand the word validation from
the Website of Research Rundowns (2018):
Validity is the extent to which an instrument measures what it is supposed
to measureand performs as it isdesignedto perform. It israre, if nearlyimpossible,
that an instrument be 100% valid, so validity is generally measured in degrees. As
a process, validation involves collecting and analyzing data to assess the accuracy

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of an instrument. There are numerous statistical tests and measures to assess the
validity of quantitative instruments, which generally involves pilot testing. The
remainder of this discussion focuses on external validity and content validity.
External validity is the extent to which the results of a study can
be generalized from a sample to a population. Establishing eternal validity for an
instrument, then, follows directly from sampling. Recall that a sample should be
an accurate representation of a population, because the total population may not
be available. An instrument that is externally valid helps obtain population
generalizability, or the degree to which a sample represents the population.
Content validity refers to the appropriatenessofthe content of an instrument.
In other words, do the measures (questions, observation logs, etc.) accurately
assess what you want to know? This is particularly important with achievement
tests. Consider that a test developer wants to maximize the validity of a unit test
for 7th grade mathematics. This would involve taking representative questions
from each of the sections of the unit and evaluating them against the desired
outcomes.
The table below shows the validation technique for a specific data collection
tool or instrument.
Validation
Technique
Instrument for
Validation
How to Use
EXPERT
VALIDATION
(Qualitative)
INTERVIEW
GUIDE
• Submit to three experts
• Validates the content
and the format
• Incorporate all
suggestions and
resubmit until final
output is printed
TEST-RETEST
(Quantitative)
SURVEY-
QUESTIONNAIRE,
OBSERVATION
and PAPER AND
PEN TEST
• Fielded the Exam twice
• Compute for the
reliability through the
form of Pearson-r and
or Item Analysis
SPLIT-HALF
Note: Only use if the
locale for validation
is quiet distant or far
SURVEY-
QUESTIONNAIRE
and PAPER AND
PEN TEST
• Fielded the Exam twice
• Compute for the
reliability through the
form of Pearson-r and
or Item Analysis
How to construct appropriate research instrument for your research
proposal?
Now you are ready to actually write your questions and design the
instrument. The design of instrument takes into account, you must able to
answer the following questions in order to construct research instrument
appropriate for your study:

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(1) What outcomes or objectives do you want to measure?
Ex. Knowledge, Attitudes, skills, behavior, practice, etc.
(2) What specific do you want to measure under each outcome?
(You may refer to principles under each general outcome that you
want to measure as mentioned above).
(3) What data source do you want to use?
(Test, Survey/Questionnaire, or Observation Checklist, etc.)
(4) What methodology do you want to use?
(Pre-test and Post-test, interview, comparison, etc.).
The procedure of your instrument may vary, depending on your
answers to the questions above, but all instruments have three common
elements:
 Demographics that describe the characteristics of your
research participants or respondents.
 Questions
 Responses (with or without choices)
GENERAL TIPS FOR DESIGNING QUESTIONS:
 Ask demographics/profiling questions first - this gets the
audience engaged in the instrument.
 The first questions should be easy, avoiding controversial
topics
 Make sure questions are related to achievement of the
targeted outcome(s)
 Group like questions together – knowledge, attitude, skills,
behavior, or practice.
 Keep questions on one subject grouped together.
 Make your questions simple, but do not talk down to your
audience.
 Make sure questions have only one thought. To make sure
you are only asking one question, do not include the word
“and” in your questions. (i.e., "How would you rate your
financial management knowledge and skills?" - The
participants may want to rate their knowledge and skills
differently.)
 Avoid questions with the word “not” in them.
 Avoid trick questions.
 Make sure the questions are reasonable and do not invade the
respondent’s privacy.
 Avoid asking questions that are too precise – such as “how
many times did you eat out last month" - use a range instead.
 Avoid using technical jargon or acronyms.

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 Rememberthe ethnic backgroundsof your respondents.Some
words have different meanings to different groups.
 Rememberthe literacy levelof your group – you can check the
reading level of your instrument in MS Word (PURDUE
University, 2002).
GROUP TASK 2:
Construct your research instrument following the
guidelines discussed above. Ensure that your research
instrument follows the sequence of your statement of the
problem or research objectives. Have it checked by the
research experts. Submit the first and second draft, and the
final copy.
2.3 References
Amelia, R., & Wahyuningshih, Y. (2014, October 11). Data and data collection in
qualitative research. SlideShare.
https://www.slideshare.net/rizkyaaldiano/data-and-data-collection-in-
qualitative-research.
Aryal, S. (2020, July 09). 13 Differences between Quantitative and Qualitative Data.
https://microbenotes.com/difference-between-quantitative-and-
qualitative-data/
Bueno, D. C. (2016). Educational Research Writing Made Easy. Great Books Trading.
Bueno, D. C. (2016). Practical Qualitative Writing. Great Books Trading.
DiscoverPhDs. (2020, October 9). What is a Research Instrument?
https://www.discoverphds.com/blog/research-instrument.
Formplus Blog. (2019, July 23). 7 data collection methods & tools for research.
https://bit.ly/2OWS59Q.
PURDUE University. (2002, December). A Field Guide to Designing Quantitative
Instruments to Measure Program Impact.
https://ag.purdue.edu/extension/pdehs/Documents/QuantitativeFieldGuide.pdf
You may send your inquiries and output through the email,
marife.mustacisa@ssu.edu.ph or message via FB messenger Marife Lacaba.

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2.4 Acknowledgment
The author of this module acknowledge the help of the editors, evaluators,
and those who have contributed in the improvement of this scholarly output.
DISCLAIMER:
This module is not for commercial, and this is only for educational
purposes. Some technical terminologies and phrases were not changed, but the
author of this module ensures that all the in-text citations are in the reference
section. Even photos or figuresare with in-text citations to abide by the intellectual
property law.