Methods, Types, Tools, and Techniques of Data Collection
Knowledge is power, information is information, and data is information in digitised form, at least as described in information technology. As a result, data is power. However, before you can turn that data into a successful strategy for your company or business, you must first collect it. That is the first step. So, to assist you in getting started, we will focus on data collecting. What is it exactly? It's more than simply a Google search, believe it or not! Also, what are the many forms of data collection? And what kinds of data collection tools and approaches are there?
A Definition of Data Collection
Before we define the collection, we must first answer the question, "What is data?" The short explanation is that data is numerous types of information formatted in a specific way. As a result, data collecting is defined as the act of obtaining, measuring, and analysing correct data from several relevant sources to identify solutions to study problems, answer questions, evaluate outcomes, and forecast trends and probability. Our civilization is heavily reliant on data, emphasising the significance of data collection. To make educated business decisions, assure quality assurance, and maintain research integrity, accurate data collecting is required.
During data collecting, researchers must identify data categories, data sources, and data collection methods. We will quickly discover that there are numerous data collection methods. Data collecting is heavily used in the research, commercial, and government sectors. Before an analyst can begin gathering data, they must first answer three questions:
What is the goal or purpose of this study?
What kind of information do they intend to collect?
What procedures and methods will be used to gather, store, and process the data?
We can also divide data into qualitative and quantitative categories. Colour, size, quality, and appearance are examples of qualitative data. Quantitative data, as the name implies, deals with numbers, such as statistics, poll numbers, percentages, and so on.
What Is the Purpose of Data Collection?
Before a judge rules in a court of law or a general plans an attack, they must have as many pertinent facts as possible. Informed decisions result in the best courses of action, and information and data are interchangeable. As we'll see later, the principle of data collection isn't new, but the world has evolved. Today, there is significantly more data available, and it exists in formats unheard of a century ago. To stay up with technology, the data collection process has had to evolve and develop. Whether you're in academia trying to do research or in the commercial sector trying to promote a new product, you need data collecting to assist you to make better decisions.
What Are the Different Data Collection Methods?
While the term "data gathering" may sound high-tech and digital, it does not always imply computers, big data, or the internet. A telephone pole, a mail-in comment card, or simply a person with a clipboard asking pedestrians questions might all be used to collect data. But let's see if we can group the various data collection methods into some sort of order. There are two approaches to gathering data. As an aside, several terminologies, such as approaches, methods, and types, can be used interchangeably depending on who uses them. For example, one source may refer to data collection processes as "methods." However, regardless of the labels we use, the general concepts and breakdowns are the same whether we're talking about marketing analysis or a scientific study effort. The two ways are as follows:
Primary.
This is original, first-hand data acquired by data researchers, as the name implies. This is the first phase in acquiring information, and it is completed before any more related research is conducted. Primary data results are very accurate if the information is collected by the researcher. However, there is a drawback: first-hand research can be time-consuming and costly.
Secondary.
Secondary data is data that has been gathered by third parties and has already been statistically analysed. This material is either information that the researcher entrusted to others or information that the researcher searched up. Simply put, it's secondhand knowledge. Secondary information, while easier and less expensive to access than primary information, poses problems about veracity and validity. The majority of secondary data is quantitative data.
Techniques for Data Collection
Let's get into the details. Here is a breakdown of various techniques using the primary/secondary procedures listed above.
Primary Data Gathering
Interviews.
The researcher asks questions of a wide group of people, either through direct interviews or through mass communication methods such as phone or mail. This is by far the most popular form of data collection.
The Projective Technique
Projective data collection is an indirect interview used when potential respondents are aware of why they are being asked questions and are hesitant to respond. For example, if a cell phone carrier representative asks them about their phone service, they may be hesitant to answer. In projective data collection, interviewers are given an incomplete question and must fill in the blanks with their views, feelings, and attitudes.
The Delphi Method.
According to Greek mythology, the Oracle of Delphi was the chief priestess of Apollo's temple who dispensed guidance, prophesies, and counsel. Researchers utilise the Delphi technique in data collecting to get information from a panel of experts. Each expert responds to questions in their area of expertise, and the responses are compiled into a single opinion.
Secondary Data Gathering
There are no defined collection methods, unlike primary data collection. Instead, because the material has already been gathered, the researcher reviews a variety of data sources, including:
Financial Reports
Reports on Sales
Feedback from Retailers/Distributors/Deals
Personal Data of Customers (e.g., name, address, age, contact info)
Journals of Commerce
Government Documents (e.g., census, tax records, Social Security info)
Business/Trade Magazines
The World Wide Web
Comments
Post a Comment