RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (HFS4343)

SELECTING A DATA
COLLECTION METHOD
Dr. Mohd Razif Shahril
School of Nutrition & Dietetics
Faculty of Health Sciences
Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin

KNOWLEDGE FOR THE BENEFIT OF HUMANITY

1

Topic Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lecture, students should be able to;
identify differences in method of data collection in
quantitative and qualitative research
describe major approaches to information gathering
explain data collection methods using primary sources
explain data collection methods using secondary
sources

2
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Differences in methods of data collection

What philosophical epistemology is underpinning your
approach to research enquiry?
How was the information collected? Structured or
unstructured/flexible format?
Were the questions or issues discussed during data
collection predetermined or developed during data
collection?
How was the information you gathered recorded?
Descriptive, narrative, categorical, quantitative form or
on a scale?
How was the information analysed? Descriptive,
categorical or numerical analysis?
How do you propose to communicate the findings?
Descriptive or analytical manner?
3
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Differences in methods of data collection

4
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Information gathering

5
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Information gathering
Primary data
Primary sources e.g. measured, observed,
interviewed, questionnaire
Secondary data
Secondary sources e.g. Census Bureau Data, public
health data, economic data, historical search, medical
records etc

6
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Collecting data using primary sources

Methods for collecting data using primary sources

OBSERVATION

INTERVIEWING

QUESTIONNAIRE

7
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Observation
Purposeful, systematic and selective way of watching
and listening to an interaction or phenomenon as it takes
place
Most appropriate when;
you are more interested in the behaviour than in the
perceptions of individuals,
subjects are so involved in the interaction that they
are unable to provide objective information about it

8
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Types of observation
Participant observation
Researcher participate in activities of the group being
observed in the same manner
Non-participant observation
researcher do not get involved in the activities of the
group but remain a passive observer, watching and
listening to its activities and drawing conclusions from
this

9
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Problems with using observation

Hawthorne effect individuals or groups become aware
that they are being observed and change their behaviour
What is observed may not represent their normal behaviour

Possibility of observer bias

Interpretation drawn from observation varies between
observer
Possibility of incomplete observation and/or recording

10
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Situation where we can observe

Natural observation
Observing a group in its natural operation rather than
intervening in its activities
Controlled observation
Introducing stimulus to the group for it to react to and
observing the reaction

11
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Recording observation

Narrative recording
Using scales
Categorical recording
Recording on electronic devices
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each
recording observation method?
Lets shout some ideas at:
http://padlet.com/razifshahril/recordingobservation
12
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

The interview
Any person-to-person interaction, either face to face or
otherwise, between two or more individuals with a
specific purpose in mind is called an interview.

13
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Types of interview
Ensure

14
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Unstructured interview
The researcher is free to order these in whatever
sequence they wish.
Have complete freedom in terms of the wording they use
and the way they explain questions to their respondents.
The researcher may formulate questions and raise
issues on the spur of the moment, depending upon what
occurs to them in the context of the discussion.
Common in qualitative research.

15
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Structured interview
the researcher asks a predetermined set of questions,
using the same wording and order of questions as
specified in the interview schedule.
A written list of questions, open ended or closed, prepared for
use by an interviewer in a person-to-person interaction
Note that an interview schedule is a research tool/instrument for
collecting data, whereas interviewing is a method of data
collection.

One of the main advantages of the structured interview

is that it provides uniform information, which assures the
comparability of data.
16
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

17
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

The questionnaire
Written list of questions, the answers to which are
recorded by respondents.
Respondents read the questions, interpret what is
expected and then write down the answers.
Interview schedule

Questionnaire

interviewer who asks the questions

(and if necessary, explains them)
and records the respondents replies

replies are recorded by the

respondents themselves.

18
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Qualities of a good questionnaire

Questions clear and easy to understand

Layout easy to read and pleasant to eyes
Sequence should be easy to follow
Developed in interactive style respondents should feel
as if someone is talking to them
Sensitive questions prefaced by an interactive statement
(different fonts) explaining the relevance of the questions

19
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Methods of administering a questionnaire

Mailed questionnaire
send the questionnaire to
prospective respondents by
mail.
usually it is a good idea to
send a prepaid, selfaddressed envelope with
the questionnaire.
must be accompanied by a
covering letter
major problems - low
response rate.
20
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Methods of administering a questionnaire

Collective administration
captive audience - people assembled in one place.
ensures a high response rate
can explain the purpose, relevance and importance of
the study and clarify any questions that respondents
may have

21
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Methods of administering a questionnaire

Administration in a public area
administer a questionnaire in a public place such as a
shopping centre, health centre, hospital, school or pub.
depends upon the type of study population you are
looking for and where it is likely to be found.
slightly more time consuming

22
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Interview or questionnaire??
The choice should be based on;
The nature of investigation
Sensitive issues? Anonymity?

The geographical distribution of the study population

population scattered or stays in one place

The type of study population

Age, physical and mental abilities

23
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Advantages and disadvantages of a

questionnaire
Advantages

Disadvantages

Less expensive
Offers greater anonymity

Application is limited
Low response rate
Self-selecting bias
Opportunity to clarify issues is
lacking
Spontaneous responses are not
allowed for
Response to a question may be
influenced by the response to other
questions
It is possible to consult others
(mailed questionnaire)
24

SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Advantages and disadvantages of the

interview
Advantages

Disadvantages

More appropriate for complex

situation
Useful for collecting in-depth
information
Information can be supplemented
Questions can be explained
Interviewing has a wider application

Time consuming
Quality of data depends upon the
quality of the interaction
Quality of data depends upon the
quality of the interviewer
Quality of data depends vary when
many interviewer are used
The researcher may introduce
his/her bias

25
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Contents of the covering letter

Introduce you and the institution you are representing

Describe the main objectives of the study
Explain the relevance of the study
Convey any general instructions
Indicate that participation in the study is voluntary
Assure respondents of the anonymity of the information
provided by them
Provide a contact number in case they have any questions;
Give a return address for the questionnaire and a deadline for
its return;
Thank them for their participation in the study.
26
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Forms of question
Open ended questions
Possible responses are not given.
respondents write down the answers in his/her words.
investigators records the answers either verbatim or
in a summary
Closed questions
possible answers are set out and the respondent or
the investigator ticks the category that best describes
the respondents answer
category Other/please explain to accommodate any
response not listed
27
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Open-ended questions

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

28
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Closed questions

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

29
ABIDIN

Closed questions

30
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Formulating effective questions

Always use simple and everyday language
Do not use ambiguous (more than one meaning)
questions
Do not ask double-barrelled (a question within a
question) questions
Dot not ask leading questions (e.g. Smoking is bad,
isnt?)
Do not ask questions based on presumptions (e.g.
Everyone is asked on how many cigarettes do they
smoke in a day) assuming everyone is a smoker
31
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Other qualities of a good question

Will answer the research questions

Written at a 5th grade language
Ask for an answer on only one dimension
Nonthreatening
Does not imply a certain type of answer
Avoid words that might create a negative reaction in
some people regardless of the content of the statement

32
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Constructing a research instrument in

quantitative research

Step
1

Clearly define study objectives, research

questions or hypothesis

Step
2

For each study objectives, research

questions or hypothesis, list all associated
questions you want to answer in your
study
33

SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Constructing a research instrument in

quantitative research (cont.)

Step
3

Take each questions that you

identified in Step 2 and list the
information required to answer it

Step
4

Formulate questions that you want to

ask your respondents to obtain the
required information
34

SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

35
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Methods of data collection in qualitative

research
Unstructured interviews
In-depth interviews
Focus group interviews
Narratives
Oral histories
Participant observation
Secondary sources

36
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Collecting data using secondary sources

Both qualitative and quantitative research studies use
secondary sources as a method of data collection.
In quantitative research the information extracted is
categorical or numerical.
In qualitative research you usually extract descriptive
(historical and current) and narrative information.
Categories of secondary sources;
Government or semi-government publications
Earlier research
Personal records
Mass media
37
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Problems with using data from

secondary sources

Validity and reliability

Personal bias
Availability of data
Format

38
SCHOOL

OF

NUTR ITION

AND

DIETETICS

UNIVER S ITI

SULTAN

ZAINA L

ABIDIN

Thank You

39