1. Youngwummin: Ethics and Data Collection Methods

2. Ethical considerations
Ethics are something that you should think about at the very start
Be honest
Think about how your project might affect those taking part
Get permission from your participants
Respect others’ privacy
Keep things confidential
Know how to keep yourself and others safe
Protect your data
Feedback

3. What is a research question? Why develop a research question?
A research question is the question you really want to find an answer to, on a topic that interests you. Your question should be clear and focused, if it’s too general it can be really difficult to answer.
Why develop a research question?
Narrow your focus
Manage your time
Keep motivated
Find answers

4. Example Research Topic Impact of WW1 on women in my family
Research Questions
What role did the women in my family play in WW1?
How did their involvement in WW1 effect them?
What impact did their role have on the family?
How did their role in WW1 impact on my generation?
Research Methods
Questionnaires, interviews, archive searches, family photographs and letters
Population
Family members, family friends, local community
Sample
Family members, National Records of Scotland, NLS, community members

5. Conduct your own research….
What method is most appropriate?
What questions are you going to ask?
Do you want to collect numbers and/or words?

6. Secondary Data
Secondary research involves analysing existing data i.e. information that exists already, such as:
Books
Newspapers
Photographs, letters…
Information collected at the National Records
Archive materials in the National Library ……

7. Primary Data
Primary research involves collection of data that does not already exist.
Data can be collected by:
Questionnaires
Interviews
Focus Groups
Observation

8. Demographic Information
Collecting data which helps you to make comparisons, e.g.
Age
Gender
Don’t ask for personal information unless it is necessary e.g. do you need to know someone’s name or address?

9. Questionnaires Advantages
Can collect a large amount of data in a standardised format
Provides anonymity
Can gather information from those who would not feel comfortable and confident to take part in an interview/focus group
Higher response than other methods
Disadvantages
May exclude those with low literacy
Can be time-consuming
Appropriate for this topic?

10. Top tips for questionnaires
Keep them short
Make sure the questions are clear
Pilot your questions with friends and family
Avoid leading questions
Keep your questions relevant to your initial research question

11. Interviews: things to think about
Decide whether you will do semi-structured or structured interviews
What do you need to ask to get the information you want?
Think about where and when to conduct the interviews
How long do you want the interview to last?
How are you going to record the data? E.g. notes, Dictaphone, video camera?
Getting consent?

12. Focus groups: things to think about
Focus group is a group of people interacting – how will you do this?
How many will you have in your focus group? How many researchers?
Will you use structured or semi- structured questions?
How will you keep the group on topic?
How will you record the data?
Getting consent?

13. Guidelines for asking questions
Do not begin with difficult/sensitive questions
Keep questions simple and easy to understand
Make sure you know different ways of asking a question
Think about use of emotional/sensitive words
Respondents may not have the answer
Mikklesen (2005) Methods for Development Work and Research