This document discusses the process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data in research. It involves: 1) Collecting appropriate data through selected methods and tools based on the research question, respondents, objectives, and available resources. 2) Analyzing raw data by coding and tabulating it into categories for further analysis, attempting to classify it into purposeful categories. Software can help with large amounts of data. 3) Interpreting relationships or differences found in the analysis to determine validity of conclusions and explain findings, with the goal of answering the original research questions.

2. Collecting the data
This is the stage where appropriate
information for answering the research
question is collected.

3. The researcher should select
the most appropriate methods
of collecting data and the
required data collection tools.

4. This calls for consideration of
the nature of the investigation,
the respondents, objectives and
scope of the inquiry, resources
available, time and the desired
degree of accuracy.

5. Analysis and interpretation of
data
Analysis of data involves the
application of raw data into
categories through coding and
tabulation.

6. The unwieldy data is condensed
into manageable categories for
further analysis.

7. The researcher attempts to
classify the raw data into some
purposeful and usable
categories.

8. In coding, the categories of data
are transformed into symbols
that may be tabulated and
counted.

9. Use of computers is helpful
especially when dealing with
large amounts of data

10. Analysis work after tabulation is
usually based on computation of
various statistical measures.

11. Data entry and analysis
software such as SPSS, Excel
and Access are helpful at this
stage.

12. In analysis, relationships or
differences that support or
conflict the original hypothesis
are subjected to tests of
significance to determine the
validity with which conclusions
can be made

13. If there are no hypotheses, the
researcher seeks to explain the
findings.

14. Handling, Organizing and
Analyzing Qualitative Data

15. Qualitative data comes in different
shapes and forms: focus group
interview transcripts, notes
scribbled down during interviews or
participant observation, text of
newspaper articles, transcripts of
television or radio programmes.

16. The analysis of qualitative data
is very much a matter of
discovering what occurs where,
in which context, discussed in
which terms, using what terms,
themes or key words.

17. The thinking, judging, deciding,
interpreting, etc., are more or
less done by the researcher.

18. The nature of data
quantitative [numbers] vs.
qualitative [words, themes, etc.]

19. Analysis is really all about
abstracting from your data what
you consider important and
significance in answering your
research questions.