CHAPTER 9

DATA COLLECTION
METHODS
Research Methodology:
Tools, Methods and Techniques

Sundram, V.P.K., Rajagopal, P., Atikah, S.B., Rohani, M., Nazura, M.S., & Akmal, A.O.
 Learning
Learning Objectives
Objectives
After
Aftercompleting
completingthis
thischapter,
chapter,you
youshould:
should:
 Know
Know the
the difference
difference between
between primary
primary and
and secondary
secondary data
data
and
andtheir
theirsources
sources

 Be
Beconversant
conversantwith
withthe
thevarious
variousdata
datacollection
collectionmethods
methods

 Know
Knowthe
theadvantages
advantagesand
anddisadvantages
disadvantagesof
ofeach
eachmethod
method

 Make
Make logical
logical decisions
decisions as
as to
to the
the appropriate
appropriate data
data collection
collection
methods(s)
methods(s)forforspecific
specificstudies
studies

 Demonstrate
Demonstrate your
your skills
skills in
in interviewing
interviewing others
others to
to collect
collect
data
data

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 2

 CHAPTER 9

9.1 NATURE OF DATA COLLECTION

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 3

 Information sources can be classify into primary
and secondary types.
– Primary data come from the original sources and are
collected specially to answer our research question.
– Studies made by others for their own purposes
represent secondary data.

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 4

 CHAPTER 9

9.2 SECONDARY DATA

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 5

 Secondary data are gathered and recorded by
someone else prior to (and for purposes other
than) the current needs of the researcher.
 Secondary data sources can be classified into two
types mainly:
– Internal (organizational) sources
– External sources

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 6

9.2.1 Internal Sources
 Internal sources or organizational data are so varied
that it is difficult to provide generalizations about
their use.
 Internal data are created, recorded, or generated
by the organization.

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 7

9.2.2 External Sources
 External data are created, recorded, or generated by an
entity other than the researcher’s organization.
 Classifying external sources of secondary data by the
nature of the producer on the information yields five basic
sources:
– Books and periodicals
– Government
– Regional publication or trade association
– Media sources
– Commercial sources
Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 8
9.2.3-4 Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages Disadvantages
• Can usually be found more • Class definition may not be usable. The
quickly and cheaply than information may not meet one’s specific needs.
primary data. Collecting primary • Data may be out of date. A study made five years
data can be costly and time- ago may not be relevant today.
consuming as to be impractical. • It may be difficult to access the credibility of the
• Enhances existing primary data. data because one knows little about the research
• Readily available. design or the conditions under which the
• Inexpensive compared to research occurred.
primary data. • Measurement units may not match a
researcher’s needs.

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 9

 CHAPTER 9

9.3 NATURE OF SURVEY

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 10

 Survey requires asking people, who are called
respondents, for information, using either verbal or
written questioning form.
 Questionnaires or interviews are utilized to collect
data on the telephone, face-to-face, and through
other communication media.

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 11

 Survey Objectives: The type of information gathered in surveys
varies considerably, depending on the objectives of the survey.
 Some typical survey objectives are to identify the characteristics of
a particular group, to measure attitudes, and to describe
behavioural patterns.
 Most surveys have multiple objectives; few gather only a single
type of factual information.

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 12

 CHAPTER 9

9.4 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF

SURVEY

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 13

 • Surveys provide quick, inexpensive, efficient, and
accurate means of assessing information about the
population.
Advantages • The example of surveys earlier in this book illustrates
that surveys are quite flexible and, when properly
conducted, extremely valuable to managers.

• The disadvantages of surveys are best discussed in

Disadvantages specific for each form of data collection (mail, personal
interview, and telephone).

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 14

 CHAPTER 9

9.5 BASIC METHOD OF SURVEY RESEARCH

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 15

9.5.1 Personal Interview
 Personal interviews are direct communication
where face-to-face interviews are conducted to
verbally ask respondents questions.
 This versatile and flexible method is a two-way
conversation between an interviewer and a
respondent.

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 16

 9.5.1 Personal Interview
Disadvantages of Personal Interviews
Personal interviews are generally more expensive than mail and telephone interviews.
Cost The geographic proximity of respondents, and the number of respondents because all
influence the cost of the personal interview.
A respondent is not anonymous and may be reluctant to provide confidential information
Anonymity of to another person. Researchers often spend considerable time and effort to phrase
Respondents sensitive questions so that social desirability bias will not occur.

When a person selected to be in the sample cannot be contacted on the first visit, a
systematic procedure is normally initiated to call back at another time. The cost of an
Callbacks interviewer calling back on a sampling unit is more expensive because subjects who are
initially not at home are generally more widely dispersed geographically than the original
sampling units.
Global
Willingness to participate in a personal interview varies dramatically around the world.
Considerations

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 17

9.5.2 Door-to-Door Interviews
 Door-to-door interviews provide a more
representative sample of the population than mail
questionnaires.

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 18

9.5.2 Door-to-Door Interviews

Intercept interviews in malls and other high-traffic areas

It also allow the

researcher to show
Personal interviews Interviewers visual materials,
These interviews
conducted in generally will stop such as video clips
are conducted at
shopping malls are and attempt to or to give an
this location is
referred to as mall question shoppers individual a
because they cost
intercept at a central point product to take
the lowest among
interviews or within or at an home and use:
all the types of
shopping center entrance to the then the
interviews.
sampling. mall. respondents may
be re-contacted
later by telephone

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 19

9.5.3 Telephone Interviews
 This is a method of contacting respondents by
telephone to gather responses to survey questions.
 Computer-assisted telephone interviewers enter
responses directly into computers.

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 20

9.5.3 Telephone Interviews
• Research agencies and interviewing services typically conduct all
telephone interviews from a central location.
Central • WATS (Wide Area Telecommunications Service) lines are
location purchased from a long distance telephone-service at fixed charge
interviewing so that unlimited telephone call can be made throughout the
entire country or within a specific geographical area.

• Advances in computer technology allow telephone interviews to

Computer- be directly entered into a computer using an online computer-
assisted assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) process.
• Telephone interviewers are seated at a computer terminal. A
telephone
monitor displays the questionnaire, one question at a time, along
interviewing with pre-coded possible responses to each question.

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 21

STRENGTH WEAKNESSES
Speed – In telephone interviewing, the speed of data Representative samples – When the group of interest
collection is a major advantage. consists of the general population, there are practical
difficulties in obtaining a representative sample based on
listing in the telephone directory.
Cost – As the cost of personal interviews continues to Lack of visual medium – Since visual aids cannot be
increase, telephone interviews are becoming relatively utilized in telephone interviews, research that requires
inexpensive. Travel time and the cost of travel are eliminated, visual materials cannot be conducted by phone.
and with interviews centralized and computerized, costs are
further reduced.

Cooperation – In some neighbourhoods, people are reluctant Limited duration – One disadvantage of the telephone
to allow a stranger to come inside the house or even stop on interview is that the length of the interview is limited.
the doorstep. The same individuals, however, may be perfectly Respondents who feel they have spent too much time in
willing to cooperate with a telephone survey request. the interview will simply hang up.
Absence of face-to-face contact – Embarrassing or
confidential questions may be answered more willingly in a
telephone interview than in a personal interview.
Callbacks – An unanswered call, a busy signal, or respondents who are not at home require a callback. Telephone
callbacks are substantially easier and less expensive than personal interview callbacks. However, it has been observed that
the ownership of telephone-answering machines is growing, and many individuals will not return a call to help someone
conducting a survey.

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 22

9.5.4 Self-Administered Questionnaires
 Business researchers distribute questionnaires to be
responded in many ways.
• Insert questionnaires in packages and magazine.
• Locate questionnaires at point of purchase or in high traffic
locations.
 Questionnaires can also be distributed via fax machine.
 Questionnaires may be programmed into computer and
distributed via e-mail or on the Internet.
 Mail questionnaires - A mail survey is self-administered
questionnaires (filled out by the respondent rather than the
interviewer) sent to respondents through
Research Methodology: Tools, the mail.
Methods and Techniques 23
9.5.4 Self-Administered Questionnaires

Strength and Weaknesses of Mail Questionnaires

• Geographical flexibility
• Cost
• Respondent convenience
• Interviewers’ absence
• Standardized questions
• Time is money
• Follow-up mailings
• Length of mail questionnaires
• Response rates

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 24

9.5.4 Self-Administered Questionnaires

Increasing response rates to mail surveys

• Cover Letter
• Monetary Incentives
• Global consideration

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 25

9.5.4 Self-Administered Questionnaires
A questionnaire inserted in a magazine may
other forms of distribution 1.Fax
Printed, self-administered
instruct the respondent to clip out the
surveys questionnaire and fax to a certain number.
questionnaires that use

The benefit of this method includes cheaper

1.E-mail distribution and processing fees, faster
surveys turnaround time, more flexibility, and less
paper chasing.

This is where questions are displayed on a

1.Internet web site. The respondents typically provide
survey an answer by highlighting an option or by
clicking on icon.

Research Methodology: Tools, Methods and Techniques 26