Understanding Data Collection: Primary and Secondary Categories

1. TECHNICAL WRITING[UWB 20302] Data Collection Mdm Siti Aisyah binti Akiah English Language Teacher Faculty of Science, Technology and Human Development

2. What is Data Collection? • Data are valuable pieces of information collected in a study. • Data Collection  a process of collecting data from different sources • 2 categories of data: • Primary • Secondary

3. 1. Primary Data • Come from your own investigation • More difficult & more expensive to get • The data is unique to you and your research • Can be obtained from one or a combination of the instruments:- • questionnaires, interviews, observations, tests or experiments, portfolios, events, diaries, focus group interviews, case studies, etc

4. 2. Secondary Data • Data which has been done by someone else • Come from reading what other people have experienced or written • It might have same or different purposes from yours

5. Researching for Secondary Data • Nearly every research project should begin with a search of secondary data. • Examples of different sources of secondary data:- - Books - Journals - Periodicals - Newspapers - CD-rom databases - DVDs - CD-books - Microfiche / microfilms - Non-confidential government documents - Electronic resources (e.g e-journal, websites, online material)

6. Using Secondary Data in Research Report • The ideas and the works from secondary sources are not yours! • To use other people’s ideas or works, you have to acknowledge or note the details of the materials to be included in the bibliography at the end of the report by: • Quoting, or • paraphrasing the statements

7. Quoting… • repeat or copy out (a passage from a text or speech by another) • e.g. • ‘If teachers think their teaching is at unsatisfactory level, they have to find other way to deliver the lesson’ (Lim et al., 1990: 5)

8. Paraphrasing… • express the meaning of (something) using different words, especially to achieve greater clarity • e.g. • According to Azizi (2005), … • A study conducted by Sinnadurai (2003) presented a finding…

9. Collecting Primary Data Instrument 1 – Observation • Done because people perform their everyday activities in their own unique ways • These activities can be documented or obtained through observation

10. Instrument 1 – Observation (Con’t) • E.g. what are the activities that civil engineering students do during Technical Writing class? • Through observation, a researcher will get firsthand information of the respondents’ actions performed and see their patterns of behaviour. • May also strengthen the data collected through other methods.

11. Instrument 1 – Observation (Con’t) • If you want to use observation as your primary data collection technique, prepare an observation guide sheet. • Identify specifically:- • what you hope to observe • the duration of the observation • ample space for other things that might be encountered

12. Observation No: ____ Location: _______ Date: _____ Time: ____ Duration: _______ Activities of Civil Engineering Students during Technical Writing Class Doodling: ____ Listening to lecture: ____ Sleeping: ____ Talking to each other: ____ Daydreaming: ____ Completing assignment: ____ Notes: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Observed by: __________

13. Collecting Primary Data Instrument 3 – Interview • Two-way communication which permits an exchange of ideas and information • Conversation carried out with definite purposes of obtaining specific information

14. Instrument 3 – Interview (Cont’d) • Usually on topics related to the respondents’ beliefs & feelings which can be achieved from the mouth of the individuals • Types of Interview: • Structured • Semi-Structured • Unstructured

15. Structured Interview • Based on a carefully worded interview schedule • Frequently require short answers with the answers being ticked off. • Useful when there are a lot of questions which are not particularly contentious or thought provoking • Respondent may become irritated by having to give over-simplified answers

16. Example of Structured Interview Questions • What causes prisoners to return to crime after they're released? 1a. (Probe, when subject completes initial response) Anything else? 2. (If multiple causes mentioned) Which of these would you say is the major cause of prisoners' returning to crime? 3. How do you know that this is the cause? 3a. (Probe, if necessary) Just to be sure I understand, can you explain exactly how this shows that this is the cause? 4. If you were trying to convince someone else that your view [that this is the cause] is right, what evidence [verbal emphasis] would you give to try to convince the person? 4a. (Probe, if necessary) Can you be very specific, and tell me some particular facts you could mention to try convince the person?

17. Semi-Structured Interview • The interview is focused by asking certain questions but with scope for the respondent to express him or herself at length • the situation where the respondent is given the time to talk about their opinions • more flexible compared to a structured interview as it is not as formalized and does not have very limited questions • the interviewer generally has a framework of themes to be explored

18. Example of Semi-Structured Interview Questions • Could you please tell me briefly what you relate to the term ‘thrust’ if you think of your professional practice? • Can you tell me what the essential and the decisive features of trust between client and counselor? • Will they be able to trust each other? • Do you feel more responsible for a client if you see that they trust you?

19. Unstructured Interview • a method of interview where questions can be changed to meet the respondent's intelligence, understanding or belief • they are not limited, pre-set range of answers for a respondent, but instead depends on how much the individual responds to the question • The method to gather information using this technique is fairly limited

20. Example of Unstructured Interview Questions • How did these students’ prior academic experiences prepare them for the writing demands of their candidature? • What problems did these students encounter in meeting these demands during the first six months of their candidature? • What strategies did these students use to overcome these problems?

21. Collecting Primary Data Instrument 2 – Questionnaire • A systematic compilation of questions that are distributed to an identified group of people from which information is needed. • People who answer your questions are known as respondents • There are both pros and cons in applying questionnaire in your study