Essential Research Methods for Data Collection
Core Research Methods and Techniques
The aim of research is to systematically discover and respond to the many questions that human beings pose. This document examines four essential data collection methods used across social sciences and psychology.
The Interview
The interview is a technique for research that serves as an essential tool for professional psychology. It involves formulating a set of questions orally to individuals for the purpose of obtaining information.
Features of the Interview
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) structure.
- Specific, appropriate language.
- Requires formality.
Benefits of the Interview
The interview is one of the methods most commonly used by psychologists since it allows them to get to know people directly. It helps researchers understand the respondent’s problem and determine their needs.
Disadvantages of the Interview
- Sometimes people do not want to reveal certain aspects of their life, leading to evasive responses that affect the data quality.
- Responses vary according to the personality of each individual. Therefore, the interview should be applied alongside other methods, such as observation and case study, to help better the results of the interview.
The Survey Method
The survey is a technique for gathering information in writing that is used most often by social scientists. It involves developing a questionnaire with questions that serve to check the hypothesis.
Features of Surveys
- The interface often rules out surveys that are answered only partially.
- Each student is informed of their results compared with the average of the class.
- Surveys are provided and prepared (e.g., COLLES, ATTLS) and contrasted as instruments for analyzing online classes.
Advantages of Surveys
- Low cost relative to a census.
- Provides accurate information (better quality) than a census because the smaller number of enumerators allows for better and more selective training.
- It is possible to introduce scientific objectives of measurement to correct errors.
Disadvantages of Surveys
- It is not possible to obtain estimates for small areas.
- The planning and execution of research is often more complex than if conducted by census.
- Requires design professionals with good knowledge of theory and skill in application.
Observation as a Research Tool
Psychologists rely on observation to study the behavior of humans and animals in their natural context, rather than in controlled laboratory conditions.
Features of Observation
- The observer’s main task is to assign behaviors to categories.
- The categories must be exhaustive and mutually exclusive, requiring a clear definition of the universe of behaviors intended for observation.
- Researchers must define the methods or tools used in the observation, including when and where it takes place, and, when defining the sample, *to whom* the observation applies.
Benefits of Observation
- Provides a wealth of information directly from the conduct, which tends to be more accurate than reports gathered after the fact.
- The subject’s behavior is more natural, spontaneous, and varied than behaviors found in a laboratory setting.
- It is also a rich source of research hypotheses.
Disadvantages of Observation
- The presence of the observer can alter behavior.
- Observations may reflect a preconceived idea of the observer.
- It is often difficult to determine whether the observations can be generalized to other settings and subjects.
The Case Study Method
The case study is a method used to gather extensive information about a single person or a small group of people. This method is especially useful in clinical situations when information is needed to decide which type of therapy should be applied to an individual.
Features of Case Studies
A case study is often epidemiologic, observational, and analytical. Subjects are selected based on functions or behaviors that can be observed. Once individuals are selected, researchers investigate whether they were exposed to a feature of interest and compare the proportion of exposure in the case group versus the control group.
Benefits of Case Studies
- They are useful for studying rare events.
- They allow for the study of small sample sizes.
- They demand relatively little time for execution.
Disadvantages of Case Studies
- It is inefficient to study the effects of rare exposures.
- It can be difficult to establish the sequence of events of interest.
- There is a possibility of errors in the selection of cases and controls. This bias is lower in population-based designs.