7 TECHNIQUES AND INSTRUMENTS FOR DATA COLLECTION - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The techniques of data collection are mechanisms and instruments used to collect and measure information in an organized and with a specific goal. They are usually used in scientific and business research, statistics, and marketing.

Each of these techniques allows you to collect information of different types. For this reason, it is important to know their characteristics and be clear about the objectives to choose those that allow to collect the appropriate information.

Data collection techniques are classified as qualitative, quantitative, and mixed.

Quantitative research seeks to collect numerical or exact data. Its techniques are standardized, systematic and seek to obtain accurate data. For this reason they have greater application in statistics or in the exact sciences such as biology or chemistry.

Qualitative research, on the other hand, seeks to obtain information on the context and characteristics of social phenomena. For this reason, numerical data are not enough and require techniques that allow us to understand more deeply the realities to be analyzed.

Mixed techniques, as their name implies, are those that allow us to collect qualitative and quantitative information at the same time.

You may be interested Qualitative and Quantitative Research: Characteristics and Differences.

7 effective data collection techniques

1- Interviews

The interview is, in essence, a well-planned conversation. In it, the researcher poses a series of questions or discussion topics to one or more people, in order to obtain specific information.

It can be done in person, over the phone, or virtually. However, in some cases personal interaction with the interviewee is important, in order to take note of the information provided by non-verbal communication.

For example, in an investigation that investigates the causes of school dropout in an institution, interviews can be applied.

In this case, it may be useful to interview actors in the problem such as parents and students, as well as public officials to better understand the problem.

Depending on the organization of an interview, it can be structured, semi-structured or informal.

A structured interview is one in which the interviewer has a previously defined list of questions and is strictly limited to them.

In the semi-structured interview, there is a question guide or general conversation topics. However, the interviewer can develop new questions as topics of interest arise.

Finally, the informal interview is one that is not guided by a list of specific questions. The interviewer is clear about the topics he wants to inquire about and introduces them spontaneously into the conversation.

2- Questionnaires and surveys

Questionnaires and surveys are techniques in which a list of closed questions is posed to obtain accurate data.

They are usually used in quantitative research but open questions can also be included to allow qualitative analysis.

It is a very widespread technique because it allows obtaining accurate information from a large number of people. The fact of having closed questions, allows to calculate the results and obtain percentages that allow a quick analysis of them.

It is also an agile method, taking into account that it does not require the presence of the researcher to be carried out. It can be done en masse by mail, through the internet or by telephone.

To continue the dropout example, questionnaires can be helpful in obtaining accurate information from students. For example: age, degree in which you drop out of school, reasons for dropping out, etc.

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3- Observations

Observation is a technique that consists precisely in observing the development of the phenomenon to be analyzed. This method can be used to obtain qualitative or quantitative information according to the way it is done.

In qualitative research it allows to analyze the relationships between the participants thanks to the analysis of their behaviors and non-verbal communication.

In quantitative research it is useful to monitor the frequency of biological phenomena or the operation of a machine.

For example, if you want to understand the reasons for dropping out, it can be helpful to look at how teachers and students relate to each other. In this case, the observation technique can be applied in any class.

When applying this technique with a qualitative approach, it is necessary to organize the observations in thematic categories in order to give an order to the analysis.

These categories must be related to the information obtained through other techniques to be more valid.

4- Focus groups

The focus groups could be described as a group interview. It consists of bringing together a group of people who share characteristics related to the investigation and directing the conversation towards the information that you want to obtain.

It is a qualitative technique useful for analyzing mixed opinions, contradictions or other data that arise from the interaction between people.

Continuing with the dropout example, a focus group among teachers, parents and / or students could be applied.

In any of these cases, the participants could be asked what the causes of school dropout are and from there promote the discussion and observe its development.

5- Documents and records

This technique consists of examining the data present in existing documents, such as databases, minutes, reports, attendance records, etc.

Therefore, the most important thing for this method is the ability to find, select and analyze the available information.

It is necessary to take into account that the information collected may give inaccurate or incomplete information. For this reason, it must be analyzed in relation to other data so that it can be useful to the investigation.

In the case of school dropouts, existing statistics could be consulted as well as the academic records of students who have dropped out of school.

6- Ethnography

Ethnography is a qualitative technique in which a continuous observation of the social group to be analyzed is exercised.

In it, the researcher keeps a diary of his observations and also uses other techniques such as interviews and focus groups to complement.

Its purpose is to understand in depth the social dynamics that develop within a given group. However, there is a controversy around its objectivity due to the difficulty of completely separating the researcher from his object of study.

For the example of school dropout, ethnography would apply with the continued presence of the researcher at school.

This would allow you to keep a journal of your observations about students within the context of the academic community.

7- Delphi Technique

The Delphi technique consists of inquiring from a series of experts on a given topic to guide decision-making.

It takes its name from the Oracle of Delphi, which was a source that the Greeks used to obtain information about their future and thus guide them for decision-making.

In order to obtain accurate results, the experts are consulted through a questionnaire. The responses received are quantified and analyzed as quantitative information.

In the case of school dropout, one could consult among the experts which is the main cause of this problem within a series of 10 options.

This result must be compared with the other results of the investigation for its analysis to be valid in the context.

References

1. Kawulich, B. (2005). Participant Observation as a Data Collection Method. Recovered from: qualitative-research.net.
2. Morgan, G. and Harmon, R. (2001). In: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Recovered from: appstate.edu.
3. Ramírez, J. (SF). The Delphi Technique: Another Qualitative Research Tool. Recovered from: academia.ed.
4. Saci, N. (2014). Data collection methods. Research Methodology. Recovered from: academia.edu.
5. University of Minnesota. (SF). Data Collection Techniques. Recovered from: cyfar.org.