What are data collection methods?

Methods are ways of collecting and analysing data. Data can be collected in a number of ways - the most common methods are through surveys, interviews, focus groups and observations. You might also consider how you measure more quantitative change: interaction with your online collections or website, engagement with social media, location-tracking, use of your API, etc. Each of these data sources can give you interesting information to triangulate with more qualitative information.

Qualitative

What: Things that can’t be quantified: can be observed and described but less easily measured. Like videos, diary entries, textual analysis in surveys, interviews, focus groups, real-time observation.

When:

• To answer questions about why and how

• To dig deeply into a problem

• When you have access to people from whom you can learn

• To understand context

Advantages:

• Rich, in-depth information

• Flexibility in process

• Grow relationships with your stakeholders

• Insight into links and causation

Disadvantages:

• Time-consuming in collection and analysis

• Interpretation strongly depends on researcher’s understanding of the environment and context

• Tackling the researcher’s bias during interpretation

• Rarely generalisable to a larger population