Data Collection - Surveys, Interviews, Focus Groups, & Field Observations

There are two different types of data collection. We can ask someone questions or we can conduct field/ observation. When we ask people things this can be done through a survey, interviews, or focus groups.

Surveys/Questionnaires

Surveys can be open or closed ended questions. Surveys can also be quantitative or qualitative. When asking questions you should try to be direct and not be ambiguous. Question should also be positively worded and not negatively worded. Surveys maybe electronic. For reliability, questions can be asked in different ways.

Interviews

Interviews allow for probing.

Focus Groups

In focus groups some individuals may lead the conversation. The moderator must be cognizant of the situation.

Field Observations

4 types: Full participant, participant-as-observer, observer-as-participant, and complete observer

1.) Full participant
 - the researcher is a genuine participant (or pretends to be); it is covert
 - people see you solely as a participant
 - people do not know you are a researcher

Strength - We may ask whether this is ethical, but hopefully the data will be more valid and reliable this way. When subjects do not know they are being studied, they will be more natural as opposed to if they know they are being studied in which case they might modify their speech or behavior.

Weakness - If a researcher is participating in an activity, their participation may affect the social process being studied. Legal and physical risks may emerge.

2.) Participant-as-observer
 - researcher actively participates in activities but they know researcher is a researcher

Strength - Being known as a researcher rather than failing to act as a colleague may be more successful.

Weakness - The subjects might change their behavior knowing they are being studied (known as reactivity - when research subjects change their behavior as a reaction to being studied); Researchers may start to identify with the participants too much and share their interests and viewpoints, known as "going native". When this occurs, the loss of detachment necessary for this type of research is lost.

3.) Observer-as-participant
 - the researcher doesn't actively engage in activity
 - an example of this is when researchers accompany police officers on patrol

Strength - in riding with police officers, citizens usually think the researcher is a plainclothes officer so the presence of the researcher does not contaminate the situation as much

Weakness - "going native" is still a concern here; for example, when researchers ride with police officers, they tend to become more sympathetic to the police officers

4.) Complete observer
 - researcher observes without being part of anything; they are detached
 - does not engage at all in social interaction
 - unobtrusive as possible
 - people do not necessarily know they are being observed

Strength - Researcher is less likely to affect what is going on and less likely to go native.

Weakness - Researcher is less likely to develop a full appreciation for what is being studied because they are less able to answer questions.