OCR Nationals Level 3 Unit 3
March 2012 M Morison Know the different data collection methods available Understand the difference between quantitative and qualitative research Be able to create an effective questionnaire for your research
March 2012 M Morison A02 - Design and Carry Out a data collection activity Monday April 2nd
March 2012 M Morison Pass Candidates will plan and carry out a data collection activity to gather some suitable data for their investigation. Merit Candidates will plan and carry out a data collection activity to gather a range of suitable data for their investigation. Distinction Candidates will plan and carry out a data collection activity to gather the data that is necessary for their investigation. March 2012 M Morison 4
March 2012 M Morison For the purposes of this unit, data collection is how your data is gathered. There are various methods of data collection, including interviews, questionnaires and observations. They all have their own advantages and disadvantages.
March 2012 M Morison Quantitative research Is about numbers and measurement. It is objective, so the data collected is not influenced by personal bias. Used to establish relationships between two or more variables. Statistics, tables and graphs are often used to present the results.
March 2012 M Morison Qualitative research Is about feelings and opinions, so may not always be reliable. It is subjective, so there is a possibility of distortion due to researcher’s personal bias. Could involve ranking eg on a scale of Can be difficult to analyse as people have different opinions, likes and dislikes.
March 2012 M Morison Questionnaires (online or paper based) Observations Empirical/scientific tests Discourse analysis Transcripts Data loggers/sensory outputs
March 2012 M Morison A popular means of collecting data Can be difficult to design appropriately/properly (eg Gender!) When designing a questionnaire, you MUST consider how it is going to be used.
March 2012 M Morison Will it be completed by an interviewer, or by a respondent working alone for example on a piece of paper or on the internet? Will instructions or formatting hints/help be required?
March 2012 M Morison It is vital that the information collected enables successful analysis. Piloting ensures that the questionnaire enables all the necessary data to be collected. Piloting involves the questionnaire being used by a small group of people and the results analysed.
March 2012 M Morison Comments from the pilot group are used to amend the questionnaire Change the wording Change question types Change layout Change the logical flow of the questions…. …because if the data you collect is not appropriate, you may not be able to successfully prove or disprove your hypothesis.
March 2012 M Morison Keep them short, simple and to the point Avoid unnecessary words Use words and phrases that are unambiguous Use words that are familiar to the subjects Ask only questions that the subjects can answer Avoid questions that require the use of memory Use quantitative statements such as ‘at least once a week’ Address only a single issue in each question
March 2012 M Morison DO Try to ensure your questionnaires will be completed Consider whether you really need personal data, eg name Comply with the DPA! Think about the types of questions you need to ask. DON’T Make your questionnaire too complicated Make your questionnaire too personal
March 2012 M Morison Closed questions –directive i.e. YES/NO, TRUE/FALSE or PRE DEFINED ANSWERS such as multiple choice. Quick, easy, quantifiable, measurable, objective, restrictive Open Questions –include HOW, WHY, WHAT do you think etc, no defined answers, analysis in done after scrutiny of replies, rich answers, time consuming, hard to measure, can be biased
March 2012 M Morison Must have an accompanying set of instructions/script to make it a fair test – everyone gets the same instructions Must be anonymising Must account for gender and age