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Data Collection: Different Methods and Techniques

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Data Collection: Different Methods and Techniques

Are you new to scientific studies and are looking for ways on how to collect data for an experiment or are simply in need of a little refresher? Once you have a hypothesis in place, you now have to go about seeing if it is valid or invalid, but how can you get around to accomplishing that? You can build up evidence to support your hypothesis in many ways; this article will go over five ways on how you can collect data via interviews, archival records, direct observation, designing an experiment, and surveys.

Interviews

One of the easiest ways of collecting data is by conducting one-on-one interviews with people in regards to your hypothesis. If you’re looking at whether eating spicy food makes people feel better about their health, you can get some people together to ask them questions about eating spicy food as well as their health. Make sure your interviewers are kept separate from each other, so you don’t end up getting people who just took the interview influencing the people who are about to take it. This method is very effective if you are looking to get specific information out of people as you can probe them concerning what you’re interested in.  You can also conduct such interviews in a group setting called a focus group. Focus groups can be great for generating hypotheses since people can bounce ideas off of each other so they can let their creative juices flow; these sorts of interviews are very popular for marketing research.

Archival Records

Archival records can be a great way of getting data for a hypothesis because it’s already been collected, you have to go and find it. Archival data is collected from previous experiments or statistical censuses so you can even look into hypotheses that examine two separate time zones in the past. For instance, if you want to prove that there was more entrepreneurialism in the 1970s compared to the 1980s, you could go down to your local archives and see what sort of data you can collect about new businesses starting up during these eras. You can even look back on previous research studies and recycle the data for your purpose.

Direct Observation

Direct observation is one of the most passive ways you can collect data, but it can still be effective for proving certain hypotheses. In this type of data collection, a researcher directly observes the subject in question and takes notes. For instance, if your hypothesis is whether lighter colored chimpanzees are more dominant than darker colored chimpanzees, you could take a trip down to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and see which shade of chimp expresses the most dominating characteristics.

Designing an Experiment

One of the most scientific ways of collecting data is by designing your very own experiment and conducting it to see if it supports your hypothesis or not. This sort of data collection can take a lot of effort, but the results can be well worth it. For instance, if you want to see if a new type of antidepressant can make patients suffering from depression feel better, you could design a blind study where participants are either given the drug or are given a placebo instead. You could then follow up with a survey to see how the participants felt to determine if the drug had any subjective effect or not. You could also collect information on the participants’ vital signs like heart rate before and after the study in order to determine if the drug is safe to use or not. If you are looking for any sensory equipment for collecting data, there is a wide range to choose from. Before getting any specialty equipment to be sure to look at which sort of data you need to collect so you can be sure to get the proper type.

Surveys

Surveys can be one of the easiest methods of collecting data. Your survey can either include open-ended questions like “How do you feel about ______?” or close-ended questions like “Do you wear sunscreen: True or False.” Open-ended questions are great if you’re trying to figure out a possible hypothesis, and close-ended questions are better if you’re looking to find evidence to support a hypothesis. Surveys can be conducted in person, but nowadays, they can even be conducted online, which is the reason why they are so easy and convenient.

Collecting data can be fun and exciting while at the same time helping to contribute to the knowledge base that humanity has. There are five main ways of data collection that you can use to help support any hypothesis you wish to look into: interviews, archival records, direct observation, designing an experiment, and surveys. Keep these in mind, and you’ll be researching with the pros in no time, good luck with your scientific endeavors!

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Danor Aliz is a lifestyle journalist who enjoys writing about everything luxury. Her favorite subjects are luxury travel and everything that has to do with fashion. In her spare time, she loves to paint and also enjoys her time walking her dog Daisy.