This document discusses different methods of data collection in research. It defines data and research and outlines the typical steps in a research process. The main methods of data collection discussed are observation, questionnaires, interviews, schedules, and case studies. For each method, the document describes the sub-types, merits, and demerits. It finds that primary data collection through methods like observation and interviews can provide in-depth insights but are more resource-intensive, while secondary data and questionnaires allow broad coverage but require adjustment and have response biases. Overall, the best method depends on the research objective and available resources.

1. DIFFERENT METHODS OF DATA
COLLECTION
ROLL NUMBER: 7023
18/01/2016

2. DEFINITION OF DATA
 DATA ARE INFORMATIONS WHICH MAYLEAD TO AN ANSWER
OR A SOLUTION TO A PARTICULAR QUESTION OR A
PROBLEM

3. DEFINITION OF RESEARCH
A STUDIOUS INQUIRY OR EXAMINATION ESPECIALLY; INVESTIGATION OR
EXPERIMENTATION AIMED AT:
 THE DISCOVERY OR INTERPRETATION OF NEW FACTS,
 THE CREATION OR REVISION OF ACCEPTED THEORIES OR LAWS IN THE LIGHT OF
NEW FACTS,
 OR PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SUCH NEW OR REVISED THEORY OR LAW.
- MERRIAM WEBSTERS DICTIONERY
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/research

4. STEPS IN RESEARCH
1.
DISCOVERY
OF A
PROBLEM
2.
REVIEW OF
LITERATURE
3.
HYPOTHESES
4.
RESEARCH
DESIGN
5.
DATA
COLLECTION
6.
DATA
ANALYSIS
7.
INTERPRETA
TION OF
DATA
8.
RESEARCH
REPORT
1.
POSE A
QUESTION
2.
DATA
COLLECTION
3.
PRESENT AN
ANSWER TO THE
QUESTION
IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF DATA COLLECTION

5. TYPES OF DATA
 PRIMARY DATA:
“Data originally collected in the process of investigation is known as primary
data”
- Wessel
 SECONDARY DATA:
“Secondary data are those which are already in existence, and which have been
collected for some other purpose than the answering of the question in hand”.
- M.M.Blair

6. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRIMARY AND
SECONDARY DATA.
BASIS PRIMARY DATA SECONDARY DATA
ORIGINALITY The data is original. It is
collected by the
investigator from the
sources of origin.
The data already exists,
hence it is not original.
SUITABILITY OF DATA This type of data is
related to a specific
objective relating to the
subject under
investigation. It does not
need any adjustment for
the concerned study
This type of data is
always collected for
some other purpose.
Therefore, requires
adjustment.
COST OF COLLECTION Costlier in terms of
time, money and efforts.
Less expensive as they
are easily available from
the internet or
published reports.

7. DIFFERENT METHODS OF DATA
COLLECTION
 OBSERVATION METHOD
 QUESTIONNAIRE METHOD
 INTERVIEW METHOD
 SCHEDULE METHOD
 CASE STUDY METHOD

8. SUB-DIVISIONS OF METHODS OF DATA
COLLECTION
1.
OBSERVATION
METHOD
PARTICIPANT
OBSERVATION
NON-
PARTICIPANT
OBSERVATION
CONTROLLED
OBSERVATION
UNCONTROLLED
OBSERVATION
STRUCTURED
OBSERVATION
UNSTRUCTURED
OBSERVATION
2.
QUESTIONNAIRE
METHOD
STRUCTURED
QUESTIONNAIRE
UNSTRUCTURED
QUESTIONNAIRE
3.
INTERVIEW
METHOD
STRUCTURED
INTERVIEW
UNSTRUCTURED
INTERVIEW
FOCUSED
INTERVIEW
CLINICAL
INTERVIEW
NON-DIRECTIVE
INTERVIEW
4.
SCHEDULE
METHOD
5.CASE STUDY
METHOD

9. OBSERVATION METHOD
1.
OBSERVATION
METHOD
PARTICIPANT
OBSERVATION
NON-
PARTICIPANT
OBSERVATION
CONTROLLED
OBSERVATION
UNCONTROLLED
OBSERVATION
STRUCTURED
OBSERVATION
UNSTRUCTURED
OBSERVATION

10. MERITS AND DEMERITS OF OBSERVATION
METHOD
 MERITS:
1. SUBJECT BIAS IS ELIMINATED IF THE OBSERVATION IS DONE CORRECTLY.
2. THE INFORMATION OBTAINED RELATES TO WHAT IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING.
3. IT IS NOT COMPLICATED BY EITHER PAST BEHAVIOUR OR FUTURE INTENTIONS OR
ATTITUDES.
4. IT IS INDEPENDENT OF THE RESPONDENTS WILLINGNESS TO RESPONED UNLIKE INTERVIEW
OR QUESTIONNNAIRE METHOD.
5. CONTROLLED OBSERVATION PROVIDES A FORMALISED DATA UPON WHICH GENERALIZATION
CAN BE DRAWN .
6. UNCONTROLLED OBSERVATION HELPS TO PROVIDES A SPONTANEOUS PICTURE OF LIFE AND
PERSON.
7. IN PARTICIPATORY OBSERVATION THE RESEARCHER IS ENABLED TO RECORD THE NATURAL
BEHAVIOUR OF THE GROUP.
8. IN PARTICIPATORY OBSERVATION THE RESEARCHER CAN EVEN GATHER INFORMATION
WHICH COULD NOT EASILY BE OBTAINED IF HE OBSERVES IN A DIS-INTERESTED FASHION.

11. CONTINUATION..
 DEMERITS
1. SOMETIMES UNFORESEEN FACTORS MAY INTERFERE WITH THE OBSERVATION TASK.
2. SOME PEOPLE ARE REARLY ACCESSIBLE TO DIRECT OBSERVATION CREATES OBSTACLE
FOR THIS METHOD.
3. INFORMATION PROVIDED IS LIMITED.
4. CANNOT BE USED WHEN LARGE GEOGRAPHY IS INVOLVED.
5. IN PARTICIPATORY OBSERVATION THE OBSERVER MAY LOSE OBJECTIVITY TO THE
EXTEND THAT HE PARICIPATES EMOTIONALLY
6. IN CONTROLLED OBSERVATION THERE ARE DANGER OF HAVING THE FEELING THAT
WE KNOW MORE ABOUT THE OBSERVED PHENOMENON THAN WE ACTUALLY DO.
7. UNCONTROLLED OBSERVATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO INTERPRETATION.

12. QUESTIONNAIRE METHOD
2.
QUESTIONNAIRE
METHOD
STRUCTURED
QUESTIONNAIRE
CLOSED
QUESTIONNAIRE
OPEN
QUESTIONNAIRE
UNSTRUCTURED
QUESTIONNAIRE

13. MERITS AND DEMERITS OF QUESTIONNAIR
METHOD
 MERITS
1. THERE IS LOW COST EVEN WHEN THE UNIVERSE IS LARGE AND IS WIDELY SPREAD
GEOGRAPHICALLY.
2. IT IS FREE FROM THE BIAS OF THE INTERVIEWER; ANSWERS ARE IN RESPONDENTS’
OWN WORDS.
3. RESPONDENTS HAVE ADEQUATE TIME TO GIVE WELL THOUGHT OUT ANSWERS.
4. RESPONDENTS, WHO ARE NOT EASILY APPROACHABLE, CAN ALSO BE REACHED
CONVENIENTLY
5. LARGE SAMPLES CAN BE MADE USE OF AND THUS THE RESULTS CAN BE MADE MORE
DEPENDABLE AND RELIABLE.

14. CONTD…
 DEMERITS
1. LOW RATE OF RETURN OF THE DULY FILLED IN QUESTIONNAIRES; BIAS DUE TO NON-
RESPONSE IS COMMON.
2. IT CAN BE USED ONLY WHEN RESPONDENTS ARE EDUCATED AND COOPERATING
3. THE CONTROL OVER QUESTIONNAIRE MAY BE LOST ONCE IT IS SENT.
4. THERE IS INBUILT INFLEXIBILITY BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTY OF AMENDING THE
APPROACH ONCE QUESTIONNAIRES HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED.
5. THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF AMBIGUOUS REPLIES OR OMISSION OF REPLIES
ALTOGETHER TO CERTAIN QUESTIONS; INTERPRETATION OF OMISSIONS IS DIFFICULT.
6. IT IS DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHETHER WILLING RESPONDENTS ARE TRULY
REPRESENTATIVE.
7. THIS METHOD IS LIKELY TO BE THE SLOWEST OF ALL.

15. INTERVIEW METHOD
3.
INTERVIEW
METHOD
STRUCTURED
INTERVIEW
UNSTRUCTURED
INTERVIEW
FOCUSED
INTERVIEW
CLINICAL
INTERVIEW
NON-DIRECTIVE
INTERVIEW

16. MERITS AND DEMERITS OF INTERVIEW
METHOD
 MERITS
1. MORE INFORMATION AND THAT TOO IN GREATER DEPTH CAN BE OBTAINED.
2. INTERVIEWER BY HIS OWN SKILL CAN OVERCOME THE RESISTANCE, IF ANY, OF THE
RESPONDENTS; THE INTERVIEW METHOD CAN BE MADE TO YIELD AN ALMOST
PERFECT SAMPLE OF THE GENERAL POPULATION.
3. THERE IS GREATER FLEXIBILITY UNDER THIS METHOD AS THE OPPORTUNITY TO
RESTRUCTURE QUESTIONS IS ALWAYS THERE, SPECIALLY IN CASE OF UNSTRUCTURED
INTERVIEWS.
4. OBSERVATION METHOD CAN AS WELL BE APPLIED TO RECORDING VERBAL ANSWERS
TO VARIOUS QUESTIONS.
5. PERSONAL INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED EASILY UNDER THIS METHOD.
6. SAMPLES CAN BE CONTROLLED MORE EFFECTIVELY AS THERE ARISES NO
DIFFICULTY OF THE MISSING RETURNS; NON-RESPONSE GENERALLY REMAINS VERY
LOW.
7. THE INTERVIEWER CAN USUALLY CONTROL WHICH PERSON(S) WILL ANSWER THE
QUESTIONS. THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE IN MAILED QUESTIONNAIRE APPROACH. IF SO
DESIRED, GROUP DISCUSSIONS MAY ALSO BE HELD.

17. CONTD…
 DEMERITS
1. It is a very expensive method, specially when large and widely spread
geographical sample is taken.
2. There remains the possibility of the bias of interviewer as well as that of the
respondent; there also remains the headache of supervision and control of
interviewers.
3. Certain types of respondents such as important officials or executives or people in
high income groups may not be easily approachable under this method and to that
extent the data may prove inadequate.
4. This method is relatively more-time-consuming, specially when the sample is large
and recalls upon the respondents are necessary.
5. The presence of the interviewer on the spot may over-stimulate the respondent,
sometimes even to the extent that he may give imaginary information just to
make the interview interesting.
6. Under the interview method the organization required for selecting, training and
supervising the field-staff is more complex with formidable problems.
7. Interviewing at times may also introduce systematic errors.
8. Effective interview presupposes proper rapport with respondents that would
facilitate free and frank responses. This is often a very difficult requirement.

18. MERITS AND DEMERITS OF CASE STUDY
METHOD
 MERITS
1. CASE STUDY METHOD GIVES A CLEAR CUT INSIGHT INTO LIFE.
2. IT IS INDISPENSIBLE FOR DIAGNOSIS,THERAPY ETC.
3. CASE STUDY REVEALS INFORMATION OF PERSONAL AND PRIVATE NATURE
4. IT HELPS TO SECURE DETAILS ABOUT THE UNIT OF STUDY.

19. CONTD…
 DEMERITS
1. THIS METHOD IS LOOSE AND UNSYSTAMATIC.
2. MORE TIME CONSUMING AND EXPENSIVE.
3. THERE IS A CHANCE OF BIAS.
4. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR ERRORS DUE TO INACCURATE OBSERVATION.
5. THE OVERCONFIDENCE OF THE RESEARCHER MAY LEAD TO FALSE SENSE OF
CONFIDENCE WHICH IS DETRIMENTAL TO ANY SCIENTIFIC METHOD.

20. THANK YOU