Week 6--Data Collection Techniques

Key Concepts in Research—Week 6

Data Collection Techniques

Connaway & Powell—Chapter 5

Questionnaire—is often used to gather quantitative data. The questionnaire must be carefully planned to gather the information that will help the researcher answer the hypothesis. Advantages of using a questionnaire as a data collection instrument include: frank answers due to the fact that anonymity is possible because they are often via mail, email, or web-based forms, interviewer bias is eliminated, each question is asked the same without interviewer bias, participants can answer the questionnaire at a time that is convenient to them, easy to collect quantitative data, a large number of participants can be included, and the cost is less than many other techniques. Disadvantages of using a questionnaire include: personal contact between researcher and participant is lost, participants cannot ask the researcher questions for understanding, strongly opinionated people are more likely to answer surveys which can skew the results, less educated individuals may have difficulty participating causing bias towards more educated respondents, some participants may purposely sabotage the survey by giving extreme answers, nonresponse rates are high, and if distributed via internet it will only be available to people with access to the internet.

Observation—is considered both a method and a technique and is central to qualitative research, but is also used to gather data for quantitative research. The researcher closely observes participants in a scientific or systematic way. Advantages of observation research include: behavior can be recorded as it occurs, comparison can be made between what participants did and what they said they did, all behavior and actions can be recorded by the researcher eliminating the participants opinion of importance, anyone can be observed regardless of verbal skills, and observation can be accomplished without participants knowledge, however there are ethical implications that need to be considered. Disadvantages of observation research include: it is difficult to always be available to observe unstructured events, the length of the event may be too brief to observe, and it can be difficult to quantify observational data.

Wildemuth—Chapter 18

Transaction logs—computer records that record data as applications are being used. Records that can be extracted from logs include: IP address, date and time of page requests, which files were requested, web server logs, use of search engines, just to name a few. This data is then used to help researchers better understand search behaviors and interpersonal interactions in interactive features such as chat.

The process of transaction log analysis—there are three main steps to processing transaction logs for analysis. First, one must identify the data elements and sources appropriate to the study. Second, the data must be collected. Third, the data must be cleansed and prepared for analysis.

Wildemuth—Chapter 19

Think aloud protocols—also referred to as verbal reports and verbal protocols. The study is set up for the participant to think out loud while performing a task or solving a problem.

Concurrent and Retrospective Protocols—in concurrent protocols, the participant thinks aloud while performing a task or solving a problem. In retrospective protocols, the participant reports what he was thinking while he was performing a task or solving a problem after he is finished with the task.

Wildemuth—Chapter 20

Direct observation—allows participants to be observed or questioned during an event which helps the researcher get the full picture of timing, duration or frequency of behaviors. The participants may not be fully aware of the researcher due to the event occurring, allowing for realistic activities to naturally occur.

Participant and nonparticipant observation—in participant observation, the researcher has the dual role of being a participant in the study while also observing. In nonparticipant observation, the researcher is only an observer.

Wildemuth—Chapter 21

Advantage to participant observation—may lead to better understanding of the participants and social processes that occur which may lead to better theories.

Researcher role in participant observation—the researcher’s role may be passive or limited where the researcher stays in the background as much as possible. If the involvement is complete, then the researcher is a true member of the culture. This is referred to as full membership or active participant.

Wildemuth—Chapter 22

Research Diary—are varied in form and content. In research, the author may be asked to record data of events in a log, or may be asked to write narrative personal accounts. The information may be used in quantitative or qualitative research.

Types of diaries—three types of research diaries are identified in the Wildemuth text. Unstructured diaries are open-ended journals that give the participant little if any instruction regarding the content or form that is expected of the diary. Semistructured diaries fall along the middle of the continuum between structured and unstructured diaries and are probably the most frequently used. Structured diaries are very specific in the data and form that the researcher instructs the participant to record.

Wildemuth—Chapter 23

Unstructured Interviews—a technique of interviewing developed in the anthropology and sociology disciplines. It is also referred to as informal conversational interview, nonstandardized interview, ethnographic interview, or in-depth interview. The researchers who use this method generally have a constructivist point of view and are working to interpret the social reality of participants.

Aide-mémoire—an agenda used for unstructured interviews. It gives the interviewer broad guidelines on the topics that may be covered in the interview.

Wildemuth—Chapter 24

Double-barreled question—when two issues are covered in one question during an interview. This can make it difficult for the respondent to clearly answer the question and for the researcher to analyze the response.

Time-line interviewing—a technique such as the micromoment time-line interviewing, commonly associated with Dervin’s sense-making theory. A time-line of events is established and then questions are asked about each event in the time-line.

Wildemuth—Chapter 25

Focus group—the researcher gathers a group of individuals together to discuss the topic of research. Participants are able to compare their view with others in the group and discuss and challenge views, giving researchers a more nuanced perspective of the topic.

Control characteristics—the characteristics that you would like participants in your focus group to possess.

Wildemuth—Chapter 26

Survey instrument—how the questions of the survey will be formulated to generate responses. Careful drafting is imperative.

Methods to increase response rates—contact prospective respondents multiple times, collaborate with a relevant organization, get individual to sponsor the study, or offer an incentive.

Wildemuth—Chapter 27

Construct—is the object of measurement in a study. It is more complex than just a simple question. A construct must be defined and then operationalized.

Inventory—is developed through defining cognitive and affective variables. Many are identified through previous studies done by other individuals.

Wildemuth—Chapter 28

Likert Scale—an often used format which measures psychological constructs. A statement is rated on a 5-point scale rating the agreement with the statement between strongly agrees or strongly disagrees.

Semantic Differential Scales—a method of measuring connotative meaning of objects, events, people, etc. to the individual responding to the scale. The participant rates opposites along a continuum expressing their attitude towards the stimulus.

References

Connaway, L. & Powell, R. (2010). Basic research methods for librarians. 5th ed. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.

Wildemuth, B. M. (2009). Applications of Social Research Methods to Questions in Information and Library Science. Westport, CN: Libraries Unlimited.