Data Collection Methods

College of Nursing
Silliman University
Nursing Research
DATA COLLECTION
FLO RENDA F. CABATI T R N M A

Course Facilitator
DATA COLLECTION
Dimensions of Data Collection

Approaches
2. Structure
3. Quantifiability
4. Researcher Obtrusiveness
5. Objectivity
KEY DIMENSIONS OF DATA
COLLECTION METHODS:
STRUCTURE
include a fixed set of questions that are
generally answered in a specified sequence and
with pre designated response options
Example: agree or disagree
in structured methods, there is little opportunity
for participants to qualify their answers or to
explain the underlying meaning of their
responses
UNSTRUCTURED
data that are considerably more difficult
 yield
to analyze.
Example: Structured:
During the past week, would you say you felt
stressed?
rarely or non of the time
some or a little of the time
occasionally or a moderate amount of time
most or all of the time
Example: Unstructured
How stressed or anxious have you been this
past week? Tell me about the kind of tension
Major Types of Data Collection
Self Reports
Observation
Biophysiologic Measures
Developing a Data Collection Plan
in a Quantitative Study
1. Identifying data needs.
2. Selecting types of measure
3. Selecting and developing instruments
4. Pretesting the data collection package
5. Developing data collection forms and
procedures
Identifying Data Needs:
Quantitative Study
Decisions for Data Requirements may be
made to accomplish the following:
2.Testing hypotheses or addressing the research
questions.
3.Describing sample characteristics
4.Controlling extraneous variables.
5.Analyzing potential biases
6.Understanding subgroup effects
7.Interpreting results
8.Checking the manipulation
9.Obtaining administrative information.
Selecting and Developing
Instruments
Criteria that may affect researcher’s
decisions:
2. Conceptual relevance
3. Data quality
4. Resources
5. Availability and familiarity
6. Norms and comparability
7. Population appropriateness
8. Reputation
Pretesting the Data Collection
Package
Purposes of a pretest:
2. Identify parts of the instrument that are
difficult for pretest subjects to read or
understand or that may have been
misinterpreted by them
3. Identify any instruments or questions that
participants find objectionable or
offensive
4. Determine whether the sequencing of
instruments is sensible.
5. Determine needs for training data
collection staff
6. Determine if the measures yield data with
sufficient variability.
Developing data collection forms and
procedures: some administrative tasks
Forms to develop
- informed consent
- forms for screening potential
participants
- forms for recording actual data
- contact information sheet
- administration logs for recording the
receipt of data
- records of attempted contacts with
participants
- data collection protocols
- forms for data management
Implementing Data Collection
Plan in a quantitative study
1. Selecting research personnel
- experience
- congruity with sample characteristics
- unremarkable appearance
- personality
- availability
2. Training data collectors
Quantitative Self-Report Instruments
A researcher collecting structured self-
report data for a quantitative study
almost always uses a formal, written,
instrument:
Interview Schedule – the instrument
used is an interview schedule when
the questions are asked orally in
either face-to-face or telephone
interviews.
Questionnaire or SAQ – this is the
Questionnaire Checklist: Positive
Characteristics
• Clarity: Can the question be interpreted in more
than one way?
• Brevity: Can the question be shortened and still
retain its meaning?
• Simplicity: Is the vocabulary at a simple level (such
that of a newspaper) which is appropriate to the
study sample?
• Applicability: Can the respondents in the study
sample be reasonably expected to answer
accurately?
Quantitative Self-Report Instruments:
Questionnaires vs. Interviews
Questionnaires
Self-administered questionnaires can
be distributed in person, by mail, or
over the internet
Advantages: less costly and require
less time and energy to administer,
offer the possibility of complete
anonymity, and absence of interviewer
ensures no interviewer bias
Interviews
Advantages outweigh those of
Using and Preparing Structured Self-
Report Instruments
Examples of Closed-ended Questions
3. Dichotomous questions
Require respondents to make a choice between
alternatives.
4. Multiple-choice questions
This offer more than two response alternatives.
5. Cafeteria questions
These are a special type of multiple question that
asks respondents to select a response that most
corresponds to their view.
6. Rank-order questions
These questions ask respondents to rank target
concepts along a continuum, such as the most
to least important.
Examples of Closed-
ended Questions contd.
1. Forced-choice questions
Require respondents to choose between two
statements that represent polar positions or
characteristics.
2. Rating questions
Ask respondents to evaluate something along an
ordered dimension.
3. Checklists
Encompass several questions that have the same
response format.
4. Visual analogue scales
These are used to measure subjective experiences,
such as pain.
Example of a Likert Scale to Measure Attitudes toward the Mentally Ill
Direction Item RESPONSES SCORE

of
SA A ? D SD Person 1 Person 2
Scoring
(/) (X)
+ 1. People who have had a mental illness / X 4 1

can become normal productive citizens
after treatment.
- 2. People who have been patients in X / 5 3
mental hospitals should not be allowed to
have children.
- 3. The best way to handle patients in 4 2
mental hospitals is to restrict their activity X /
as much as possible.
+ 4. Many patients in mental hospitals 3 2
develop normal, healthy relationships with / X
staff members.
+ 5. There should be an expanded effort to X 5 1
get the mentally ill out of institutional /
settings and back to their communities.
6. Because the mentally ill cannot be
trusted, they should be kept under constant / 5 2
- guard. X
TOTAL SCORE 26 11
COMPOSITE SCALES
A scale provides a numeric score to place
respondents on a continuum with respect to an
attribute being measured.
LIKERT SCALES/ SUMMATED RATING SCALES

Most widely used scaling technique
Made of several declarative items that express
a viewpoint on a topic
The summation feature makes it possible to
make fine discriminations among people with
different points of view.
COMPOSITE SCALES contd.
SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL SCALE

 Another technique for measuring psychosocial traits
 Respondents are asked to rate a concept on a series
of bipolar adjectives
2 Considerations to Guide Selection:
Adjective pairs should be appropriated for
the concept being used and for the
information being sought.
The extent to which the adjective measure
the same dimension of the concept.
Biases
Refers to the tendency of respondents to distort
their responses
Self report
Response sets
Extreme response
Acquiescence response set
Development of structured self report
instrument
1. Once data needs have been identified, cluster
into separate modules or areas of questioning
2. Sequence modules to an order that is
psychologically meaningful and encourages
candor and cooperation
3. The schedule should begin with questions
that are interesting, motivating and not too
sensitive
4. Arrangement of instrument in such ways to
prevent bias
5. Before questioning you must read the
introductory comments to the respondents
(often incorporated into an informed consent
form)
6. Introduction should be carefully constructed
since it is the first contact with the potential
participants
Tips for Developing Structured Self-
Report Instruments
TIPS:
1. State the question in the affirmative
2. Avoid long sentences or phrases, and
avoid technical terms
3. Avoid “double-barreled” question that
contain two distinct ideas.
4. Do not assume that respondents will be
aware of, or informed about, issues or
questions in which you are interested.
5. Avoid leading questions that suggest a
particular kind of answer
Tips for Developing Structured
Self-Report Instruments contd.
1. State a range of alternatives within the

question itself when possible
2. For questions that deal with controversial
opinion or socially unacceptable behavior
close-ended question may be preferred.
3. Impersonal wording of a question is
sometimes useful in minimizing
embarrassment and encouraging honesty.
4. Cognitive questioning
Administering Structured Self-Report
Instruments
Collecting Interview Data
4 Primary Tasks of Interviewers

Interviewers put respondents at ease
Interviewers should always be punctual,
courteous and friendly
Interviewers should strive to appear unbiased
and to create a permissive atmosphere that
encourages candor
All opinions of respondents should be accepted
as natural: Interviewers should not express
surprise, disapproval, or even approval
Administering Structured Self-
Report Instruments contd.
In structured interview schedule,
Interviewers should follow questions wording
precisely
Interviewers should not offer spontaneous
explanations of what questions mean
Interviewers should not read questions
mechanically
Closed-ended items are recorded by checking
or circling appropriate alternative but
responses to open-ended question must be
recorded in full
Probe is used to elicit more useful information
than respondents volunteered during their
initial reply
Administering Structured Self-Report
Instruments
Collecting Questionnaire Data

Personal presentation of questionnaire
Mailed questionnaire
Internet

Data Collection Methods

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Data Collection Methods

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College of Nursing

FLO RENDA F. CABATI T R N M A

Dimensions of Data Collection

Examples of Closed-ended Questions

Direction Item RESPONSES SCORE

+ 1. People who have had a mental illness / X 4 1

LIKERT SCALES/ SUMMATED RATING SCALES

SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL SCALE

1. State a range of alternatives within the

4 Primary Tasks of Interviewers

Collecting Questionnaire Data

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