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Design Factory New Zealand: Data Collection

What sort of Data are you wanting to gather?

Note. From "Quantitative vs. qualitative research: The differences explained" [Video], by Scribbr, 2019, November 16. YouTube. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-XtVF7Bofg). Copyright 2019 by Scribbr. Reprinted with permission (expiry date 3/03/24).


Qualitative vs Quantitative Research

Qualitative research answers questions such as why and how. It allows you to collect detailed information on a particular topic and formulate a hypothesis that you can then test using quantitative research. Qualitative research is usually exploratory and unstructured. It allows for more flexibility and encourages discussion. It involves in-depth interactions with a smaller number of respondents.

 

Compared to qualitative research, quantitative research is usually more affordable to execute. It also requires a lesser investment of time. Quantitative research is standardized, which makes it easy to compare findings. Quantitative data deals with numbers and includes values and quantities. It’s objective and reliable. It answers questions such as who, what, when, where, and how many.

Data Collection

Note. From "Choose your data collection methods" [Video], by Scribbr, 2021, May 12. YouTube. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-XtVF7Bofg). Copyright 2019 by Scribbr. Reprinted with permission (expiry date 3/03/24).

Data collection methods to choose from

  • Face-to-face interviews

  • Qualitative questionnaires

  • Focus groups

  • Observation

  • Longitudinal studies

  • Quantitative surveys

  • Experiments

Method When to use How to collect data
Experiment To test a causal relationship. Manipulate variables and measure their effects on others.
Survey To understand the general characteristics or opinions of a group of people. Distribute a list of questions to a sample online, in person or over-the-phone.
Interview/focus group To gain an in-depth understanding of perceptions or opinions on a topic. Verbally ask participants open-ended questions in individual interviews or focus group discussions.
Observation To understand something in its natural setting. Measure or survey a sample without trying to affect them.
Ethnography To study the culture of a community or organization first-hand. Join and participate in a community and record your observations and reflections.

Note. From "Plan your data collection procedures" [Video], by Scribbr, 2021, May 21. YouTube. (https://youtu.be/Vwtxlgudc4s). Copyright 2019 by Scribbr. Reprinted with permission (expiry date 3/03/24).

Books

Online tools

NVivo 11: This is fairly easy and intuitive to use. This has a wide range of features such as the options to integrate with social media, Evernote (one place to store ideas), EndNote (reference manager), SurveyMonkey, and OneNote. Not only can you use this software for qualitative analysis but doing a literature review. 

Dragon Transcribing App

The most accurate professional-grade dictation service available on the market. Create templates, add custom words, and instantly dictate your documents – Dragon Anywhere will automatically adapt to how you speak. Download your one-week FREE TRIAL now! Trial converts to a monthly ($14.99) or annual ($149.99) subscription.

Kahoot - Quiz Games

Kahoot

Boost audience participation and excitement with a kahoot that grabs and holds everyone’s attention at your next event. You can currently create four different kahoot types: Quiz, Jumble, Survey, and Discussion. Then, allow different types of questions to be added to the same kahoot.

Survey Monkey

SurveyMonkey Logo

Everything you need to create the best surveys.

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