This document discusses data collection procedures and determining what constitutes data in a study. It covers several key points: 1) The variables of study and their operational definitions determine what data is collected. Data collection methods depend on whether the research is qualitative or quantitative. 2) Qualitative research may use interviews, observations, and open questionnaires to collect in-depth data in a natural context. Quantitative research uses more structured observations and very structured interviews to collect brief, uniform data. 3) Common data collection methods include observations, interviews, questionnaires, tests, and elicitation techniques like judgments, translations, and recalls. The appropriate method depends on the research questions and goals.

1. Data and data collection
procedures
Determining what constitute data
It depends primarily on the focus of the study and on the specific variables to
be identified.
The first step in the process is to arrive at a clear, precise and exact definition
of the variables of the study. The researcher needs to operationalize them, in
other words identify specific behaviors which could provide acceptable
evidence for describing them.
Criteria for selection
This parameter can be viewed as a manifestation of the relationship between
the conceptual and operational levels of the research. the approach,
objective and design of the research can be expressed in what will be
regarded as a data and how the data will be collected and analyzing. The
procedures used to collect the data will depend on whether the research is
synthetic or heuristic, analytic or deductive.

2. • The data collection parameter
• The degree of explicitness, we often find the data collection procedures
which are broad and general ,(low degree) we do not focus on particular
types of data, while on the other side we tend to find procedures which
are more explicit and structured (high degree) also determine in advance.
• Description of data collection procedures
• Heuristic and synthetic: In qualitative types of research, where a
phenomenon is studied within a natural context, data are often collected
by means of number of procedures simultaneously. Some of the typical
devices and procedure used for collecting data in this type of research are
interviewing informants, compiling bio data about them, open
questionnaires, eliciting ratings and rankings.
• Deductive: quantitative research , more structured types of observations
in the form of checks, tallies, frequencies and ratings . Very structures
interviews, which will elicit brief and concise data in the form of checks,
marks and short responses.

3. Observations : observations are use for examine a phenomenon or
behavior while it is going on. Observations allow the study of a phenomena
at close range with many of the contextual variables . Data obtained from
more structured observations will be in the form of checks, frequencies and
ratings, while data obtained from the open observations will be in the form of
impressions, field notes, tapes or transcripts. Impressions often have no
records and this may create a problem if it is necessary to return to the data.
Interviews: the purpose of the interviews to obtain information
by actually talking to the subject. Interviews are personalized
and therefore permit a level of in-depth information gathering,
free response and flexibility. On the other hand interviews can
be costly, time-consuming and difficult to administer.

4. • Questionaires :
• are use to collect data on phenomena which are not easily observed, such as
motivation and self-concepts. They are use to collect data on the process
involved to obtain background information. On the other hand it has
disadvantages, for example they are self administer, tend to share information
of a sensitive nature, the data are more standard and uniform. It is important
that before using any kind of questioner it is necessary to try it out and
examine whether all the questions on the scales provide an actual information
about relevancy and clarity to the questions.
• Test: test is a procedure to collect data on subjects. It employs a variety of
structured techniques to elicit data(high level of degree). While test of low
degree collect , record, gather language which is produced spontaneously .
• Judgment test: this is a elicitation technique where the test-taker is presented
with correct and incorrect language items and is expected to decide whether
they are acceptable or not.
• Multiple choice: this technique requires the test-taker to select a correct
answer from a number of alternatives.

5. • True false: this procedure requires test-taker to determine whether a
statement is correct or not.
• Elicit imitation : the test-taker is presented with an oral or reading
stimulus and is expected to repeat it.
• Cloze: the subject is expected to fill in the missing parts.
• Completions: the subject is presented with a partial or oral questions and
is expected to complete them orally .
• Translation: the subject is expected to translate it verbatim into L1.
• Recall: test-taker are asked to write down or report orally all that they can
recall from the text.
• Issues and problems in collecting data
• Vernacular is the most stable data. It is more basic than others
interlanguage style. The researcher will need data from spontaneous
speech. The vernacular provides the most systematic data since minimum
attention is given to monitoring.

6. • Assuring the quality of the data and the data collection
• Reliability and validity are the most important criteria for assuring the
quality of the data. Reliability provides information on the extend to which
the data collection procedure elicits accurate data and validity provides
information on the extend to which procedure really measures what it is
supposed to measure.
• Using, adapting and developing data collection procedures
Ready-made procedures or adapt an existing instrument.