This document discusses various methods for collecting data, including primary and secondary data collection. It describes survey methods, observation methods, and experimental methods for collecting primary data. It also discusses collecting secondary data from sources like government offices and publications. The document outlines different research instruments for data collection, including questionnaires, schedules, audits, and panels. It provides details on closed-ended, open-ended, and combination questionnaires. Finally, it compares methods of primary data collection like personal interviews, telephone surveys, mail surveys, and computer interviews.

1. METHODS OF DATA
COLLECTION

2.  There are two types of data:
 Primary data: (Collected for the first time).
 Secondary data:(those which have already been
collected and analysed by someone else).

3.  Survey method can be used for the collection of
primary data from the sample population by direct
personal interview with the help of pre-tested
schedule twice in a year. The enquiry aimed to
collection of information’s about the specific study.
(cost and returns involved in the production and
marketing of milk).


4.  Observation method
 Survey method
Mail questionnaires
 Contact method Telephone interviewing
Personal interviewing
 Experimental method

5.  The secondary data can be collected from
block offices, district statistical offices, and
from periodical journals, magazines and
literature available during the course of the
study ‘or’ related period. The data can be
collected regarding relevant information for
the study (population and production, input
output prices etc).

6. Research Instruments

7.  The construction of a research instrument or tool
for data collection is the most important aspect of
a research project, because anything you say by
way of findings ‘or’ conclusions is based up to the
type of information you collect, and data you
collect is entirely dependent upon the questions
that you ask of your respondents. The research
tool provides the inputs into a study and therefore
the quality and validity of the output (findings) are
solely dependents on it.

8.  Questionnaires
 Schedules
 Distributor or store audits
 Pantry audits
 Consumer panels
 Use of mechanical devices
 Projective techniques

9.  A questionnaire consists of a set of questions
presented to a respondents for answers.
 The respondents read the questions, interpret what is
expected and then write down the answers
themselves.The questionnaire is very flexible tool of
research.
 Questionnaire should be developed and tested
carefully before being used on a large scale.

10.  There are three basic types of questionnaire:
 Closed- ended questionnaire
 Open-ended questionnaire
 Combination of both

11.  Closed ended questions include all possible
answer/prewritten response categories, and
respondents are asked to choose among them.
 E.g. multiple choice questions, scale questions.
 Type of questions used to generate statistics in
quantitative research.
 As these follow a set format, and most responses can
be entered easily into a computer for ease of analysis,
greater numbers can be distributed.
 Closed ended questionnaire might be used to find out
how many people use a service

12.  Open ended questions allow respondents to answer in
their own words.
 Questionnaire does not contain boxes to tick but
instead leaves a blank section for response to write in
an answer.
 Open ended questionnaire might be used to find out
what people think about a service.
 As there are no standard answer to these questions,
data analysis is more complex.
 As it is opinions which are sought rather than numbers
,fewer questionnaires need to be distributed.

13.  This way it is possible to find out how many people use
a service and what they think of the service in the
same form.
 Begins with a series of closed-ended questions ,with
boxes to tick or scale to rank, and then finish with a
section of open- ended questions ‘or’ more detailed
response.

14.  This method of data collection is very much like the
collection of data through questionnaire, with little
difference.
 Schedules (Performa containing a set of questions) are
being filled in by numerators who are specially appointed
for the propose.
 These numerators along with schedules, go to respondents,
put to them the questions from the Performa in the order
the questions are listed and record replies in the space
meant for the same in the Performa.
 In certain situations, schedules may be handed over to
respondents and numerators may help them in recording
their answers to various questions in the said schedules.

15.  This method of data collection is very useful in
extensive enquiries and can lead to fairly reliable
results.
 It is , however very expensive and is usually adopted in
investigations conducted by govt. agencies or by some
big organizations.
 Population census all over the world is conducted
through this method.

16.  Be certain that your distributors, dealers and suppliers are
complying with contractual agreements. distributor
audits take these considerations into account:
 Are distributors selling what they say they’re selling?
 Are they over-reporting discounts or rebates?
 Is product being diverted to unauthorized parties?
 Is market product finding its way onto distributors' shelves
or into their warehouses?
 Are you overpaying rebates because of incorrect reporting
of end user sales?
 Is your profitability being reduced by errors or
mismanagement in your channel?

17. A consumer panel is a marketing term referring to a
group of people that is carefully selected and their
purchasing habits are regularly monitored. The
information may also be on media consumption or life-
style activities.

18.  In conducting a pantry audit, a random sample of
the advertiser's target market is first selected.
 Questionnaires are then mailed or telephone
solicitations are completed to determine what
items are stocked in a consumer's kitchen.
 For example, if the pantry audit revealed that
the majority of pantries sampled had half a box
of spice that was a year old, it might result in a
decision to package the spice in smaller
quantities.

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Modes of Primary Data Collection
o Personal interviews
o Telephone survey
o Mail survey
o Computer direct interviews (E-
mail surveys)

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Personal interviews:
- requires a person known as the
interviewer asking questions in a
face to face contact
- interviewer often acts as a catalyst
Modes of Primary Data Collection

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Personal interviews:
Advantages:
- More information in greater depth can be
obtain
- Interviewer by his own skill can overcome the
resistance, if any, of the respondents
- There is greater flexibility under this method to
restructure questions if require
- Personal information can well obtained easily
- No difficulty of non-response, missing return
remains very low.
- Interviewer can control which person will
answer the questions
- Supplementary information can collect

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Personal interviews:
Disadvantages:
- It is very expensive, when large & widely spread
geographical sample is taken
- Possibility of the bias of interviewer as well as
respondent; also remains headache of
supervision and control of interviewer
- Certain types of respondents like important
officials or executives or people in high income
group may not be approachable
- Relatively more time consuming with large
sample
- trained, qualified interviewer staff is required
- Interviewing at times may introduce systematic
error

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Telephone interviews:
- Collecting information in contacting
respondents on telephone itself.
- It is not widely used method, but
plays important part in industrial
surveys particularly in developed
regions
Modes of Primary Data Collection

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Telephone interviews:
Advantages:
- More flexible in compared to mailing
method
- Faster than other methods
- Cheaper than personal interview
- Re-call is easy; callback are simple and
economical
- No field staff is required
- Representative and wider distribution of
sample is possible

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Telephone interviews:
Disadvantages:
- Little time is given to respondents for
answers
- Restricted to respondents who have
telephone facility
- Extensive geographical coverage may get
restricted by cost consideration
- Not suitable for intensive survey (more
questions)
- Possibility of the bias of interviewer is more
- Short questions & to the point probes
difficult to handle

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Computer Direct Interviews:
Advantage:
- Data entry and editing costs are
eliminated
Disadvantages:
- Respondents have limited access to a
computer
Modes of Primary Data Collection

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Schedule method:
- This method is quite similar of data
through questionnaire, with little
difference that schedule (Performa
containing a set of questions) are being
filled by enumerator who are specially
appointed for the purpose
Modes of Primary Data Collection

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Questionnaire method:
- Quite popular, particularly in case of big
inquiries
- Consists of no. of questions in definite order
- In this method questionnaire is sent (usually
by post) to respondent – read & understand the
question- reply the answer in the space for
purpose - return the questionnaire
Modes of Data Collection

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Questionnaire method:
Advantages :
- Low cost even when the universe is large &
widely spread geographically
- It is free from bias of interviewer, answers
are in own words of respondents
- Respondent have adequate time to give well
thought answers
- Respondents, who are not easily
approachable, can also reached conveniently
- Large sample can be made, thus, more
reliable results

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Questionnaire method:
Disadvantages :
- Low rate of return of filled questionnaire
- It can be used only when respondents are
educated and cooperating
- The control over questionnaire may be lost
once it is sent
- It is difficult to know whether willing
respondent are truly representative
- Possibility of ambiguous replies,
interpretation is difficult for omitted
questions
- This method is likely to be the slowest of all

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Questionnaire method:
- Always advisable to conduct Pilot survey
for testing the questionnaire
- Pilot survey is replica or rehearsal of
main survey
- Pilot survey being conducted by experts
to brings to the light the weaknesses if
any of questionnaires and also the survey
techniques

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Questionnaire method:
Questionnaire is the heart of survey
- So, it should be very carefully
constructed, otherwise survey is bound
to fail
- Main aspect of questionnaire
- General form
- Question sequence
- Question formulation and
- Wording

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
1. General form
- Structured and Unstructured
questionnaire
- Structured questionnaire
- In which definite, concrete and pre-
determined questions
- Simple to administrator and
relatively inexpansive
- Unstructured questionnaire
- Interviewer is provided with general
guideline on the type of information
to be obtain

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
2. Question sequence
- For making questionnaire effective & to ensure
the quality of responses, sequence is
important
- Questions with easiest answer being put in the
beginning
- Opening questions should be such to create
human interest
- Following type questions should be avoided as
opening question
- Question put too much strain on memory
- Question of personal character
- Question related to personal wealth

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
2. Question sequence
- Relatively difficult questions must be put
towards the end
- Question-sequence should be usually go from
general to the more specific

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
3. Question formulation and wording
- Each question must be very clear for any
misunderstanding can do harm to the study
- All questions should meet following standards
- should easily understood
- should be simple i.e. convey one thought at
a time
- should be concrete & conform as possible
to the respondent’s way of thinking
e.g. How many razor blades do you use
annually?
How many razor blades did you use last week?

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Two types of questions : open format and
closed format
Open format questions ask for impulsive
opinion i.e. no pre-determined set of
responses
Closed format questions usually take the
form of a multiple choice questions

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Open format questions
Advantages : wider variety of responses
truly reflect the opinions of the
respondents
Disadvantages :
- require more thought and time on the
part of the respondent
- no way to automatically tabulate or
perform statistical analysis

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Closed format questions
Advantages : saves time and reduces the
respondent burden
Disadvantages :
Response category do not adequately
describe what the respondent wants to
convey

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Essentials of good questionnaire
- Questionnaire should be comparatively short
and simple i.e. size of questionnaire should be
kept to the minimum
- Questions should proceed in logical sequence
moving from easy to more difficult questions
- Technical terms & vague expression capable
of different interpretation should be avoided
- Questions may be dichotomous, multiple
choice
- Less open ended question included to avoid
difficult statistical analysis

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Preparation of Questionnarie & Data Collection
Essentials of good questionnaire
- Some control question should be in
questionnaire which indicate the reliability of
respondent
- Control questions, thus, introduce a cross
check to see whether the information
collected is correct or not?
- e.g. a question designed to determine the
consumption of particular material may be
asked first in terms of financial expenditure
and later in terms of weight.