Data collection is the most important task in a research study. Without effective data collection, you cannot have proper shreds of evidence to support your point. However, you may find the data collection process very time-consuming, but using the right data collection tools is what can make this process easy. There are many tools that can be used to collect different kinds of data for your research study. However, in today’s article, we will only talk about the 5 best research data collection tools. Before that, let’s explain what they mean.
What Does It Mean By Data Collection Tools?
Data collection tools are the devices or instruments used to capture the required data for a research study. Such tools help you in collecting the required data. The main purpose behind the use of such tools is to answer the underlying research questions. Such tools are focused on finding every bit of information about the topic and answering every question. Another key reason for which data is collected is to make future predictions and take informed decisions.
Top 5 Best Research Data Collection Tools
Every research study starts with data collection and ends with its analysis. The data collection stage is the stage that governs the fate of your study. If you manage to go through this stage successfully, know that you are off to a great start. But it is not that easy. For this to happen, you should have a sound knowledge of the best research data collection tools. Do you know about them? No! Thus, a brief description of each method is as follows:
Interview
An interview is a one-on-one conversation between two individuals. Out of those two individuals, one is the interviewer, and the other is the respondent. The interviewer asks some questions from the respondent, and the respondent responds to the questions based on his knowledge of the topic. The three types of interview data collection tool are as follows:
- Structured interview. The respondent already knows the interview questions.
- Unstructured interview. The researcher does not share the interview questions.
- Semi-structured interview. The researcher shares only a few questions.
Questionnaires
The next data collection tool on the list is a questionnaire. This is the method of collecting research data by asking a series of questions from the respondents. This tool is mostly used where the target population is too many or where you need to gather a lot of data to reach a conclusion. Many of you does the mistake of combining a questionnaire with a survey. This is totally wrong. A survey can be called a questionnaire, but a questionnaire cannot be. There are two types of questionnaires mainly used. One is known as the open-ended questionnaire, and the other is called the closed-ended questionnaire. If you are facing any issues in both of these two types, find a reliable dissertation writing service.
Observation
Observation is one of the most widely used data collection tools for gathering field data. It is a method using which you collect data about the research topic through observation. It means you observe the population very closely, either with their consent or without their consent to collect data about their lifestyle and behaviours. This data collection tool is the key tool that helps in the formulation of the hypothesis. The two types of observation are as follows:
- Covert observation. The respondents do not know they are being observed.
- Overt observation. The researcher takes permission to observe the population.
Focus Groups
The 4th data collection tool that you can use for your investigation is focus groups. It is the same tool as interviews. The only difference between these two data collection tools is that the focus groups contain a group of respondents. There is generally a group of 4 to 8 people in a single sitting. The interviewer asks the same question from each participant at the same time and records their answers. This tool is highly open-ended and unstructured. It means the respondents the questions they can be asked by the interviewer. The data obtained using this tool is often very detailed.
Secondary Sources
The data collection tools discussed above are mostly used for primary data collection. To collect the secondary data, you can use secondary tools. The secondary tools are the tools in which you do not have any contribution, but you can use the data. Examples of secondary data collection sources are government records, magazines, NGO publications, business reports, monthly scientific magazines, etc. Thus, you can also collect secondary data for your research study using these methods.
Conclusion
To sum up, the top 5 research data collection tools are discussed above. Always remember that you do not need to use each method discussed here. It depends on your research study whether you should go for an interview or observation. Well, go through all tools mentioned above and choose the one that suits your research investigation.
