In any kind of research, data collection is a very important step in the completion of the research. However, data collection should be accurate to yield valid results. According to the article “Data Collection Methods” (n.d.) data collection can be classified into quantitative and qualitative (Data Collection Methods, n.d.). The former makes use of statistical analysis of numbers to evaluate gathered information. The most commonly used quantitative data collection methods are surveys and questionnaires, tracking, and experimentation (Quantitative Data Collection, n.d.) On the other hand, qualitative data collection focuses on the interpretation of data gathered without the use of statistical analysis. The most common of this data collection method include personal interviews, direct observations, and fgd or focus groups discussion (Qualitative Data Collection, n.d.).
A form of data gathering that is still very much relevant nowadays, despite the changes brought about by technology and advancement in marketing approaches, are surveys. Surveys, as mentioned, is a quantitative data collection method. It utilizes questions and responses given to large groups of people. Usually, surveys are administered using a pen and a paper. However, companies are slowly making use of technology such e-mails, web-based systems and sometimes via phone calls that are computer-assisted (Data Collection Methods: Some Tips and Comparisons, n.d.). In the use of surveys, how one formulates the questions is a very critical step to ensure accuracy of information gathered. This is where the most common problems arise. If a survey’s questions are not clear enough for everyone to understand or contains jargons that only a specific group of people can understand, you can expect different interpretations yielding varying results. Your questions might confuse the respondents prompting them to just give up on understanding them and just making a wild guess on their answer. To avoid this, make sure that the wordings used are simple, avoid the use of jargons and abbreviations and be very specific about what you want to ask. Also, for easy reading, simplify grammar and relax it a bit (What Are Common Problems with Survey Questions, 2013.). With all these in mind when formulating your question surveys, you are assured of high accuracy.
Works Cited
“Data Collection Methods.” people.uwec.edu. peope.uwec.edu, n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2016.
“Data Collection Methods: Some Tips and Comparisons.” The 2002 User-Friendly Handbook for Project Evaluation. National Science Foundation, n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2016.
“Qualitative Data Collection.” KnowThis. KnowThis. n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2016.
“Quantitative Data Collection.” KnowThis. KnowThis. n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2016.
“What are Common Problems with Survey Questions.” eXtension. eXtension.org, 2013. Web. 10 Aug. 2016.
