Data
collection is the process of gathering and measuring information on
targeted variables in an established systematic fashion, which then enables one
to answer relevant questions and evaluate outcomes. The data collection
component of research is common to all fields of study including physical and
social sciences, humanities and business.
While methods vary by discipline, the
emphasis on ensuring accurate and honest collection remains the same. The goal
for all data collection is to capture quality evidence that then translates to
rich data analysis and allows the building of a convincing and credible answer
to questions that have been posed.
Before going into the details, this was the two methods our group used to obtain the data on our research titled "Adjustment Challenges Faced by International Students Of UTHM".
SOURCES OF DATA COLLECTION
Primary source
- your own data from own investigation
- very important especially when solving a problem or investigating an issue
METHOD of collecting primary data
- your own data from own investigation
- very important especially when solving a problem or investigating an issue
METHOD of collecting primary data
v Questionnaire
v Interview
v Observation and Experiment
Questionnaire
Systematic compilation of questions that
are distributed to an identified group of people
through survey, mail phone or email. People who answered are called
respondents.
Interview
An interview is a
conversation between two or more people where questions are asked by the
interviewer to elicit facts or statements from the interviewee. Interviews are
a standard part of qualitative research. They are also used in journalism and
media reporting and in various employment-related contexts.
The qualitative research
interview seeks to describe and the meanings of central themes in the life
world of the subjects. The main task in interviewing is to understand the
meaning of what the interviewees say. Interviewing, when considered as a method
for conducting qualitative research, is a technique used to understand the
experiences of others.
Informal observation by
using eyes and ears based on the researcher visiting a facility or observe
operations. A specific observation is done with a checklist on what to look out
for. We can also run a few experiments on our test subject to see how they
respond. It is very useful when studying objects physical activities the
environment or human behaviour.
SAMPLING
In statistics, quality assurance, and
survey methodology, sampling is concerned with the selection of a subset of
individuals from within a statistical population to estimate characteristics of
the whole population. Each observation measures one or more properties (such as
weight, location, color) of observable bodies distinguished as independent
objects or individuals.
In survey sampling, weights can be applied to the data
to adjust for the sample design, particularly stratified sampling. Results from
probability theory and statistical theory are employed to guide practice. In
business and medical research, sampling is widely used for gathering
information about a population.
Hence the randomness of a sample is important. Selecting respondents that would be represent the population of interests so that every member of the population has an equal probability to be chosen to participate in the research brings about a better, more accurate result of the study carried out.
Secondary source
As is the case in primary
research, secondary data can be obtained from different research strands:
Prior documentation such as
Census, housing, social security as well as electoral statistics and other
related databases. internet searches, libraries; progress reports; etc. It does
not include interviews as this collect primary data for analysis to generate
information.
A clear benefit of using
secondary data is that much of the background work needed has already been
carried out, for example: literature reviews, case studies might have been
carried out, published texts and statistics could have been already used
elsewhere, media promotion and personal contacts have also been utilized.
This wealth of background
work means that secondary data generally have a pre-established degree of
validity and reliability which need not be re-examined by the researcher who is
re-using such data.
Furthermore, secondary data
can also be helpful in the research design of subsequent primary research and
can provide a baseline with which the collected primary data results can be
compared to. Therefore, it is always wise to begin any research activity with a
review of the secondary data.
Los Ingenieros, loosely translated into The Engineers (from Spanish), is a group consisting of three students from Section 46 of Technical Writing subject, namely Adrian Savari Thomas, Dennis Daniel Lopez and Tillak R Chandra Mohan.
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