Data Collection Methods, Tools and Techniques

1. Dr Raju Indukoori
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES OF
SECONDARY DATA COLLECTION

2. CONTENT
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1. Evaluation of Sources
2. Searching Database
3. Web Search
4. Government Sources
5. Data Mining

3. 1. EVALUATING SOURCES
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The sources should be evaluated based on
A. Purpose
B. Scope
C. Authority
D. Audience
E. Format

4. A) PURPOSE
• what the author is attempting to accomplish
• identify hidden agenda(s)
• identify direction of bias
• Seek both biased and unbiased sources

5. B. SCOPE
• Identify dates of inclusion and exclusion
• Identify subjects of inclusion and exclusion

6. C. AUTHORITY
• Identify background of author
• Credentials: educational,
professional
• Experience: duration, setting, level
• Identify the level of scholarship in content
• footnotes, endnotes

7. D. AUDIENCE
• Identify knowledge level and background
• Identify orientation and bias
• Seek biased and unbiased sources

8. E. FORMAT
• Order of content
• Versatility of use
• Indexed?
• Searchable?
• Downloadable?

9. 2. SEARCHING DATABASES
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Select an appropriate database
 ABI/Inform
 Business Info Suite
 Business Source
 Dow Jones Interactive
 Nexis-Lexis Universe
 Bloomberg
 Thomson Reuters

10. SEARCHING DATABASES
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Select an appropriate database
Construct a search query

11. SEARCHING DATABASES
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 Construct a search query
Boolean Operators
OR - for plurals, synonyms spelling variations
woman OR women
AND - narrows your search
advertising AND bibliography
NOT/AND NOT- eliminates terms
award NOT trophy
ADJ - order key terms within your search
assisted ADJ living

12. SEARCHING DATABASES
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 Construct a search query
 Boolean Operators
? or * - to truncate a term
 nur* for nurse, nursing
“X” for phrase searching
 “advertising campaigns”
Limiters
 dates
 source type
 language

13. SEARCHING DATABASES
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 Select an appropriate database
 Construct a search query
 Review and evaluate search results
 Relevancy
 Quantity
 Timeliness

14. SEARCHING DATABASES
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 Modify the search query
 Check bibliography
 new key words,
 other authors
 Link directly
 Adapt original search query
 Create new search query with new key words
 Search for other works by same author(s)

15. SEARCHING DATABASES
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 Modify the search query
 Document findings
 Print or download search findings
 Download full-text source
 Print full-text source

16. SEARCHING DATABASES
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 Modify the search query
 Document findings
 Retrieve or request articles
 Search online catalog
 Interlibrary loan
 Interlibrary delivery

17. 3. WEB SEARCHES
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 Define your question
 Select Search Engine or Directory
• Danny Sullivan’s
• Search Engine Watch
• www.searchenginewatch.com
• Greg Notess”
• Search Engine Showdown
• www.notess.com/search/

18. CONTD..
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 Determine Search Options and Protocol
 Construct search query
 Review search results

19. CONTD..
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 Modify search query and search again
 Search using a different search engine
 Document your findings
 search findings
 full text sources
 Supplement web results from other sources

20. SPECIFIC WEB SEARCHES
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Known-Item
Who
Where
What

21. 4. GOVERNMENT SOURCES
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• Government organizations
• Laws, regulations, court decisions
• Government statistics

22. MINING INTERNAL SOURCES
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 Data warehouse
 Data mart
 Data mining
 Pattern discovery
 Predicting trends and behaviors

23. 5.DATA MINING TECHNIQUES
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 Data Visualization
 Dimensions
 Measurements
 Hierarchies
 Clustering
 Neural Networks
 Tree Models
 Classification

24. DATA MINING TECHNIQUES (CONT.)
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 Estimation
 Association
 Market-Basket Analysis
 Sequence Based Analysis
 Fuzzy Logic
 Genetic Algorithms
 Fractal-Based Transformation

25. DATA MINING PROCESS
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1.Sample
2.Explore
3.Modify
4.Model
5.Assess