The document outlines various qualitative data gathering techniques used in research, including observation, interviews, documentary analysis, and focus groups. It describes different types of observations and interviews, how to conduct them, and factors to consider. The document also provides examples of how these techniques can be applied to research specific topics.

1. DATA GATHERING
TECHNIQUES

2. You are expected to:
1.Familiarize the nature of interview,
observation, documentary analysis, and
focus group discussion as data gathering
technique;
2.Compare and contrast observation types and
interview types;
3.Choose the appropriate observation and
interview type for a certain research topic;

3. 4. Formulate effective interview questions
based from your research topic; and
5. List factors to observe based on your
research topic.

4. A qualitative researcher may
use observation, interview,
documentary analysis, and
focus group discussion to
collect necessary data.

5. Observation

6. Data Gathering Technique
A. Observation
 There are research questions that
can be answered through observing the
actions of the participants.

7. Types of Observation

8. 1. Participant Observation
 It involves an intensive interaction
between the researcher and the
subjects or participants.
 As a participant observer, the
researcher joins the group he or she
is studying in their environment and
participate in their activities.
 This can be overt or covert.

9. 1.1 Overt Participant Observation
 The identity of the researcher is
known to the group being studied.
 This means that prior to joining or
observing the group, the researcher
is likely to inform the members of
the group about his or her goal
in joining the group.

10. 1.2 Covert Participant Observation
 The participants are not aware
of the identity of the researcher nor
that they are being observed for
research.

11. 2. Nonparticipant Observation
 The researcher does not participate
in the activities of the group being
observed.
 Instead, he or she is usually seated
observing the action of the group.

12. 3. Naturalistic Observation
 It requires that the researcher
observes the subjects under study in
their natural setting.
 The researcher simply observes and
records what is really happening as
they occur naturally.

13. 4. Simulation
 The researcher simulates or recreates
a situation, environment, or system
and observes the subjects under study
in the simulated environment.
 The researcher may ask the participants
to portray a role individually or by
team.

14. Field Notes

15. Field Notes
 These are simple, detailed notes
of the researcher while conducting
observations in the field.
 This is the written account of what the
researcher has seen, experienced, felt,
or thought during the actual
observation.
 This can be descriptive or reflective.

16. 1. Descriptive Field Notes
 It describes the actual setting of
the study (appearance of the people,
their mannerisms, and gestures) and
the accounts of actual events
(what happened, where and
when it happened, who are involved).

17. 2. Reflective Field Notes
 It refers to the researcher’s thoughts
on what he or she has observed.
 It details the researcher’s reflections
on his observations.

18. Problems in Observation

19. 1. Observer Effect
 The act of observing will influence
the participant being observed.
 Participants may not behave or act
normally or naturally when aware of
being observed.

20. 2. Observer Bias
 The characteristics or ideas of the
researcher may
“affect what they observe.”
 A researcher of honesty should do
his or her best to become aware of
and control his or her bias.

21. Interview

22. Data Gathering Technique
B. Interview
 It is a conversation between two or
more people where the interviewer asks
questions to gather specific information
from the interviewee.
 Interview is done to validate the
information you have recorded in your
observation.

23. Types of Interview

24. 1. Structured Interview
 This requires the use of a
list of questions answerable with
one and only item from a
set of answer choices.
2. Semi-structured Interview
 This is the commonly used type of
interview in qualitative research.

25.  In this type, as a researcher
you need to set the outline for the
topics covered and prepares mostly
open-ended questions such as that the
responses of the interviewee determine
the direction of the interview.

26. 3. Informal Interview
 This is a casual conversation and
conducted without specific sequence
of questions or form of questioning.
4. Retrospective Interview
 This is done to recall and reconstruct
something that happened in the past.

27. Whatever the type of interviewing
method a researcher chooses, he or
she is expected to:
 Respect the culture of the group being
studied
 Respect the individual being interviewed
 Be natural
 Develop an appropriate rapport with
the participant

28. Why do you think establishing a
friendly atmosphere while conducting
an interview is an important aspect of
the interview process itself?

29. Types of Interview Questions

30. 1. Background Questions
 These are routine questions about
the background of the participants.
 These questions include the education,
age, previous work and the like.

31. 2. Knowledge Questions
 These refer to participants’ factual
information.
 For example,
asking the participant about
school information such as school
rules or activities.

32. 3. Experience Questions
 These are focused on what the
participant is doing presently or in
the past.
 For example,
“If I were attending your practices
in the gym, what experiences would I
be likely to see you having?”

33. 4. Opinion Questions
 These are being asked to elicit how
the participants think on certain topics
or issues.
 This aims to get the participant’s values,
beliefs and attitude.
 For example,
“What do you think about the
implementation of the K-12
curriculum?”

34. 5. Feeling Questions
 These pertain to the emotional
responses of the participants on their
experiences.
 For example,
“How do you feel when you solve a
mathematics problem?”

35. 6. Sensory Questions
 These focus on what the respondent
has seen, tasted, heard, touched, or
smelled.
 For example,
“When you enter the room, what
did you see?”

36. Documentary
Analysis

37. Data Gathering Technique
C. Documentary Analysis
 It is a technique to study human
behaviour indirectly by analysing
documents.
 These documents may include books,
journals, magazines, art works,
songs, pictures, and others.

38. Focus Group
Discussion

39. Data Gathering Technique
D. Focus Group Discussion
 It involves interviewing a small group
of people to elicit data on a certain topic.
 In this technique, participants are seated
together and can hear what the others
have to say on the issue.
 This kind of interview can provide
multiple perspectives at a time.

40.  Age, gender and power are
being considered in selecting the
participants.
 The focus group is participated by the
“experts” on the topic to be discussed.

41. Questionnaire

42. Data Gathering Technique
E. Questionnaire
 It is a paper containing a list of
questions including the specific place
and space in the paper where you
write the answers to the questions.

43.  This elicits factual or
opinionated answers from the
respondents through his or her act
of checking one chosen answer from
several options or of writing on a line
provided for any opinionated answer.

44. Types of Questionnaire

45. 1. Postal Questionnaire
 As the name connotes, this type
of questionnaire goes to respondent
through postal service or electronic mail.
 It is through the mail or postal system
that the accomplished questionnaires
will be sent back to the researchers.
 In some cases, the researcher can
personally collect finished
questionnaires.

46. 2. Self-administered Questionnaire
 This kind makes you act as the
interviewer and the interviewee at
the same time.
 First, you ask the questions either
in person or through phone; then, you
will be writing the interviewee’s
answers on a piece of paper.

47. ACTIVITY!
Directions: Observe the people (your classmates or
other students) during break time in one of the
areas of your school:
 Library
 School canteen
 Corridor
Write at least two entries – one for your descriptive
notes and one for your reflective notes.

48. ACTIVITY!
Directions: Read the passage below and answer the
following questions.
A researcher wants to find out gender gaps in a
classroom. The researcher observed the teacher
and the students during an actual classroom
discussion. The researcher observed that most
questions given by the teacher where answered by
male students. The teacher often called the male

49. student first before a female student is called.
Guide Questions:
1. What are the observations of the researcher?
2. What type of observation do you think the
researcher used?
3. Which is more advantageous to use, participant
or non-participant observation? Why?
4. If you were to validate the observation, what
interview questions will you ask to the teacher?

50. ACTIVITY!
Directions: Examine each item. Determine
whether the items are observation or technique.
1. K-12 Goals, Theories, and Methodologies
2. Historical Development of Cell phones
3. Philippine Bridges in Metro Manila
4. Shoe Styles of UST Freshmen Architectural
Students

51. 5. Human Respiratory System
6. First Friday Mass with Quiapo Devotees
7. Playground Bullying among Elementary Pupils
8. Molecular Contents of Water
9. Uniform Wearing by All Divisoria Vendors
10. Dirty Ice Cream Selling at UST Campus

52. ACTIVITY!
Direction: Answer each item in paragraph form.
1. What is your perception of philosophy?
2. What do you think is the use of philosophy?
What is its purpose?
3. If you are going to rank philosophy as easy,
average, or difficult, what would it be? Why?
4. Does a philosophy teacher affect your
perception of philosophy? Why or why not?”

53. ACTIVITY!
Direction: Write true if the statement is correct
and false if wrong.
1. You may observe a group openly or secretly.
2. Observation can be enhanced by interviews.
3. Secondary data is supremely important in
observation.

54. Example:
Attitude of a group of students toward science
experiment during an actual experiment
Perceptions of parents on teenage pregnancy
Students’ behavior in a particular subject