Data Collection

Chapter 5 Approaches

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand data collection principles and
practices.
2. Describe the differences between collecting
qualitative and quantitative data.
3. Understand the differences between
observation and survey methods.
4. Assess the use of questionnaires as
instruments for data collection.
5. Appreciate the role of the various interviewing
methods in obtaining data.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 Data Collection Approaches

Data Collection

Observation Survey Methods

Mechanical Self - Interviewer

Human
& Electronic Completion Administered

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 Qualitative Research

Role of Qualitative Research

Search of academic, trade and professional
literature.
Use of interviews, brainstorming, focus
groups.
Internalization of how others have
undertaken both qualitative and quantitative
research.
Use of existing questionnaires/constructs.
Outcome of Qualitative Research
Improve conceptualization.
Clarify research design, including data
collection approach.
Hair, Babin, Money &Draft
Samouel,questionnaire.
Essentials 3
of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 Quantitative Research

Role of Quantitative Research

Quantify data and generalize results from
sample to population.
Facilitates examination of large number of
representative cases.
Structured approach to data collection.
Enables extensive statistical analysis.
Outcome of Quantitative Research
Validation of qualitative research findings.
Confirmation of hypotheses, theories, etc.
Recommend final course of action.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 OBSERVATION

Data are collected by systematically

recording observations of people,
events or objects. Observational
data can be obtained by use of
human, mechanical or electronic
observation.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 ETHNOGRAPHIC
RESEARCH

. . . a form of observational
data collection in which
researchers spend long
periods of time with a
respondent and then write
narratives that describe the
respondent’s behavior.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 CONTENT
ANALYSIS

. . . . obtains data by systematically

observing and analyzing the content or
message of written text.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 Content Analysis
Software:
TextSmart is a software package that enables users to view,
manipulate and automate the coding or categorization of responses to
narative data. The ability to automate the examination and organization
of narrative data is particularly helpful when a ‘large scale’ survey is
undertaken. It can be used to analyze any textual data, and its output
can be exported to SPSS for further analysis. For example, you can do
correspondence analysis* on a contingency table from a TextSmart
analysis. For more information about TextSmart and related SPSS
products visit the WWW site www.spss.com.

QSR NUD*IST stands for Non-Numerical Unstructured Data

Indexing and Theorizing. It is a popular computer software package
used by researchers to analyze text from focus group or interview
transcripts, literary documents and so on. It examines non-textual data
such as photographs, tape recordings, films and so on. It enables the
users to index and link several documents in a structured way to
produce categorical data in a form amenable to further analysis.
NUD*IST output can be exported to software programs such as SPSS
and Excel. For more information about QSR NUD*IST and its related
product NVIVO visit their website
(http://www.scolari.co.uk/qsr/qsr_n4.htm).
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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 SURVEY METHODS

. . . a procedure used to collect

primary data from individuals. The
data sought can range from beliefs,
opinions, attitudes and life styles to
general background information on
individuals such as gender, age,
education and income, as well as
company characteristics like revenue
and number of employees.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 SURVEY
METHODS
Go On-Line
www.ropercenter.com

Self-Completion

Interviewer Administered

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 SELF-COMPLETION
SURVEYS

Mail
• Regular
• Fax
• Overnight
Electronic
• Email
• Internet
• Diskette

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 PURPOSE OF
QUESTIONNAIRES

. . . . to obtain data that cannot be easily

observed or is not already available in
written or electronic form..

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 USES OF
QUESTIONNAIRE
DATA

Description
Explanation
Hypothesis Testing
Model Building

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 PANELS

Panels are a special type of

survey method in which data
is collected from the same
group of respondents over a
period of time.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 MAIL
QUESTIONNAIRES

Good cover letter.

Anonymity.
Allows large samples with wide coverage.
Relatively low cost.
Low response rates.
Do not know who responded.
Requires highly structured questionnaire
with predominantly closed-end questions.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 ELECTRONIC
SURVEYS

Administered electronically across network through

use of e-mail or Internet.
Relatively low cost.
Easy to administer.
Eliminates interview bias.
Fast data collection and analysis.
Sample restricted to users of network through use of
e-mail or Internet.
Complexity of designing and programming the
questionnaire – cost in terms of time and money.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 INTERVIEWER
ADMINISTERED SURVEYS

Face-to-Face
• Focus Groups
• Mall
• In Home, at Work, etc.
Telephone

Computer Dialogue

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 INTERVIEW
S

Interviews involve the researcher

“speaking” to the respondent directly,
asking questions and recording answers.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 TYPES OF
INTERVIEWS
Go On-Line
www.ropercenter.com

Structured

Semi-structured

Unstructured

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 TYPES OF
INTERVIEWS

Structured Interviews – the interviewer uses an interview

sequence with predetermined questions that are asked in
exactly the same way.
Semi-structured Interviews – the researcher follows a
predetermined structure and direction, but can ask
related, unanticipated questions that were not originally
included.
Unstructured Interviews – the researcher does not follow
an interview sequence and elicits information by
engaging the interviewee in a free and open discussion
on the topic of interest.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 FOCUS GROUPS

Semi-structured interviews that use an

exploratory research design and are
considered qualitative research.
Informal discussions among 8 to 12
respondents that share something in
common.
Guided by a moderator who encourages
discussion and keeps the group “on
track”.
Random samples are not required.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 FOCUS GROUP
MODERATORS

Personability.
Attentive.
Professional Training.
Organization.
Objectivity.
Listening Skills.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 UNSTRUCTURED
INTERVIEWS

. . . are conducted without the use of an

interview sequence, which allows
the researcher to elicit information
by engaging the interviewee in free
and open discussion on the topic of
interest.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 DEPTH
INTERVIEWS

. . . . also referred to as “in-depth”

interviews, they are an unstructured
one-to-one discussion session
between a trained interviewer and a
respondent who has some
specialized insight.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 PERSONAL
INTERVIEWS

Approaches can vary from very informal to very formal.

Expensive in terms of interviewing and travel costs.
Expensive in terms of time to complete the process:
• need to gain access.
• training of interviewers.
• co-ordination and supervision of fieldwork.
• time for interview.
Unlikely to be used with large samples.
Problem of lack of anonymity.
Opportunity to probe complex questions.
Opportunity to record additional information.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 TELEPHONE
INTERVIEWS:

Low cost form of personal Need to make sure that

interviewing. interviewees are convinced
Obtain information approach is genuine.
quickly. Questions are short and focused.
More costly than mail If questions are open-ended, make
questionnaires but less sure question does not exceed 15
words; interviewee should not be
than personal interviews.
expected to give lengthy answers.
Administration relatively For closed-end questions the
easy. number of pre-coded options
Interview bias less of a should not exceed five.
problem. Response rates can be a problem.
Problem with unlisted
numbers.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 COMPUTER
DIALOGUE

. . . the answering of questions online through

the use of PC’s. Typically, it involves an emailed
questionnaire that facilitates discussion on a one-
to-one basis or by a group.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 Types of Errors

Nonresponse = refusal or sampling.

Response = respondent or interviewer.
Data Collection Instrument:
Construct Development.
Scaling Measurement.
Questionnaire Design/Sequence, etc.
Data Analysis.
Interpretation.

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 DATA COLLECTION
APPROACHES

Go On-Line
www.acnielsen.com

What is A. C. Nielsen saying about its

latest scanner technology?

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.
 DATA COLLECTION
APPROACHES

Go On-Line
www.dssresearch.com/mainsite/surveys.htm

Review the surveys on this site and

complete two of them. How is the
information on this website valuable to
business researchers?

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of Business Research, Wiley, 2003.