Methods of Data Collection
How do I choose variables to investigate?
- Keep the number of variables you investigate to a minimum
- Too many variables at once can be overwhelming
- It can be time-consuming to process unnecessary data
- You should choose variables that are linked to what you are investigating
- If you are investigating the ability of adults to solve puzzles you might use the time it takes them as a variable
- Consider which variables are likely to have an effect on what you are investigating
- An adult’s reading speed will affect their time to solve a puzzle
- An adult’s height is unlikely to affect their time to solve a puzzle
What makes a good survey?
- A survey is a method of collecting data
- Consider whether the survey needs to be in-person
- A person might be less likely to answer questions truthfully in person
- You can quickly survey more people remotely or electronically
- Such as postal surveys, phone surveys, internet surveys
- Consider whether the interviewer could unintentionally influence participants’ responses
- If a headteacher is asking students whether they enjoy school then they are more likely to say yes as they think that is what the headteacher wants to hear
- This will introduce bias
What makes a good questionnaire?
- A questionnaire is a list of questions
- The questions should be unbiased
- Questions should not be leading
- For example: “You enjoy school, don’t you?”
- If options are given for the participant to choose from then they should cover all possible responses
- The questions should not be personal
- This means you should not ask for unnecessary personal information
- Such as date of birth, address, etc
- The questions should not reflect your personal opinions
- For example: “Do you enjoy watching the boring news on TV?”
- People can find it difficult to rate personal feeling/qualities
- For example: “How smart do you think you are?”
- Questions can be structured or unstructured
- Structured questions usually ask the participants to choose from options, give a rating or rank options
- These can be quick to analyse
- The answer choices should be consistent where appropriate
- Unstructured questions let the participants to express their views in their own words
- These tend to be more open-ended questions
- These can take longer to analyse but can give more in-depth views
- Questions should be precise and unambiguous
- They should be phrased in a way in which the participants understand exactly what you mean
- For example: “Do you study French or Spanish at school” is not precise
- Some people might reply with “Yes” or “No”
- Some people might reply with “French” or “Spanish”
