10/6/2024

CHAPTER 5

DATA COLLECTION
Every research study requires information. The question however
is, from where to get the information (data) and how to get them.

Data can be acquired from different sources.

But different sources can be generally be categorized in two major

groups as Primary and Secondary data sources.

Secondary data sources can be classified as: Primary source of Data:

It refers to those that were written or come into being by
the people directly involved in the research
Internal: External sources of information:
Are statistical material which the investigator originates
• come from internal sources • collected and published by
related with the functioning of external agencies. for the purpose of the inquiry at hand
an organization or firm where • It includes to sources outside Are data collected afresh and for the first time and this
records regarding purchase, the organization Ex: books, happen to be original in character.
production, sales, profits etc, periodicals, government The difference between secondary and primary data is
are kept on a regular basis. documents, reference books,
• However, the internal data can encyclopedia, journals,
one of degree, data, which are primary in the hands of
be either insufficient or magazines, government and one person, may be secondary in the hands of another.
inappropriate for the statistical non-government reports. Primary data may be collected through a variety of
enquiry into a phenomenon. In
that situation we need external methods.
data.
The investigator can use one of the following two
methods: Observation or Survey

1
 10/6/2024

Success of this method requires:

1. Availability of the needed information:
information
Personal surveys: • implying the respondent’s role of information providers and an understanding
by the respondent of his or her role, and adequate motivation by the
respondent to cooperate.
• This method allows excellent control over who actually answers the 2. Ensuring respondent’s receptiveness:
questions and maximum flexibility in the questionnaire design. This is • The first goal in an interview is to establish a friendly relationship with the
conducted at respondent’s home or work place. Since interviewers must respondent. These factors will help to bring about respondents receptiveness.
travel to the workplace or home, it is relatively costly. • The respondent must feel that the experience will be pleasant and satisfying,
• (Intercept surveys) Face to face personal interview: It is a two way i.e., they should feel free, believe that the survey is import and worthwhile,
communication initiated by an interviewer to obtain information form and the role of the interviewer in explaining the purpose of study, how the
the respondent. These are done by intercepting visitors at some public information issued and what is expected form the respondent.
place such as a shopping mall or a city street. The respondent is asked to 3. Personal interview problems and biases:
provide information with little hope of any immediate or direct benefit
from this cooperation. • results out of sampling errors, non response errors and response errors.
• Advantages: high depth and detail information, the interviewer has more 4. Non-
Non-response errors:
control, they can set up control question, and the interviewer can make • It occurs when the interviewer in not able to find those whom they are
adjustment to the language of the interviewer. supposed to study, i.e., in probability sampling, there are pre-designed persons
• Limitation: costly both in terms of time and money, biases in the form of to be interviewed.
sampling, non-response and response errors may creep into the process. 5. 5. Response errors:
• Occurs when the data reported differ from the actual data. These errors may
occur when processing and tabulating data, when respondents fail to fully and
accurately respond to the questions, and cheating by the enumerators or the
interviewers etc.

Telephone Interviews: Self-administered questionnaires

• Telephone surveys are widely used in market research. They offer
better population coverage than intercept surveys but are limited • Self-
Self-administered surveys.
by the fact that there is no direct contact between interviewers • Advantages:
and respondents.
• Advantages: • Lower cost than personal interviews
• Moderate cost i.e., cost in administration and travel can be minimized. • Persons who might otherwise be inaccessible
• Faster completion of the study
• Responses can be directly entered to the computer can be contacted
• Fewer interviewer biases. • Disadvantages:
• Respondents not willing to reveal their identity would be encouraged
with this method. • Respondents can take more time to collect facts.
• Disadvantages: • Non-
Non-response error is expected
• Respondents must be having a telephone facility,
• the length of interview is short or limited, • Large amount of information may not be
• the adjustments and advantages which are available with the face to acquired.
face kind of interview is lacking in this method.
• This method has the least response rate.

2
 10/6/2024

Focus groups:
Focus groups: • Uses of focus groups:
• Focus groups are used for concept testing (whether buyers like a
• A focus group is a small discussion group without a fixed new product concept).
questionnaire. • Focus groups are also good for learning how people use a
• It is unstructured without a fixed questionnaire. product and what it means to them.
• Focus groups are good for exploring problems or complaints that
• It is unstructured so that spontaneous thoughts and ideas people had in connection with a product, as well as ways of
can surface. addressing these problems or complaints. In this regard, focus
• A focus group moderator is a person trained to conduct groups can be a good source of ideas about product
improvements.
an unstructured discussion on a pre-
pre-specified list of
topics. • Focus groups are good for exploring why people hold certain
views about a brand or why they evaluate a package or an
• The topics will be broadly stated. advertisement the way they do.
• Focus groups can be used to show researchers the issues to
cover in a survey questionnaire.