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3. Data Collection Approaches and Methods www.salanga.org
Data collection is the process of preparing and collecting the information and data that will answer your research questions and inform your findings. ?
Once you’ve decided which types of data you will need, you can decide which data collection methods will be most useful to collect the type of IT
information needed for your study. A range of approaches and methods are used to collect data in order to understand key issues, boost learning, and IS
ensure accountability and the validity of project results. Below is a graphic with an overview of some methods, ranging from informal to formal. On the AT
following pages we provide two tables listing a few approaches and several mathods for data collection. As they highlight, there are benefits and H
drawbacks to each approach and method of data collection. Diversifying and selecting complementary data collection approaches and methods can W
help to overcome the ‘blind spots’ and shed light on different dimensions of the change you seek to measure.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DATA
• Primary data is original data you have collected yourself for your specific purpose. For example: data from a survey you have sent out.
• Secondary data is data that has been collected by somebody else for another purpose. For example: data from a book or journal article.
(Note: this is a sample, not an exhaustive list of data collection approaches and methods.)
Approaches:
Approach Snapshot Benefits Drawbacks
Project-led The traditional approach to Project staff have full control over the process, A lot of the stimulated change may be happening
Data MEL MEL where the project can influence the data quality and reliability; this outside of the reach of a MEL framework set by the
team defines indicators to method is well suited to inform donor reports project staff and therefore not captured by this
project outcomes and with given requirements and limited flexibility on approach. There is limited opportunity for targeted
activities and collects and indicators and their changes. communities and individuals to learn from data
analyzes data and produces unless a systematic approach to feedback loops is
reports. established.
Community- Community members Builds research capacity of community members, Requires more extended timelines in order to build
led MEL define their own simplified promotes ownership and buy-in, boosts relationships, buy-in and build local research skill
Theory of Change, collaborative learning, shifts power to local and capacity. Requires staffing and training to
intended goals and stakeholders, supports accountability to those mobilize and catalyze the community process. May
measures (e.g. indicators) directly affected by projects and boosts not entail same data quality or rigour as other
of how to monitor sustainability of project outcomes. Can be used approaches.
progress. as a stand-alone approach or in a combination
with other approaches.
Participatory Stakeholders of a Can identify locally relevant evaluation Requires time and commitment, resources, and
MEL programme or policy are questions, improve accuracy and relevance of facilitation skills. Also requires clarity on the
involved in any stage of the reporting, improve programme effectiveness, purpose of participation, and alignment between
evaluation process from empower participants, build capacity, and that purpose and the design of the evaluation.
design to data collection, support learning. Requires understanding of culture and context and
analysis or reporting. what those imply for the design.
Outcome Collects (“harvests”) Works well in complex projects and Only those outcomes that informants are aware of
1
Harvesting evidence of what has environments and can be also mediated are being captured. Skill and time are required to
changed (“outcomes”) and, remotely. Can capture unintended and identify and formulate high-quality outcome
then, working backwards, unexpected outcomes of interventions. Does not descriptions and to design the harvesting
determines whether and rely on pre-determined outcomes and generates approach.
how an intervention has verifiable outcomes during the evaluation
contributed to these process.
changes.
Data Collection Methods:
Method Snapshot Benefits Drawbacks
Questionnaires Written set of questions. Can reach a large sample size and results Samples must be large and carefully selected to
/Surveys/Census can be easy to analyze relative to other ensure statistical relevance; requires complex
methods. Useful for gathering a wide range statistical analysis. Can be expensive and
of data; from household demographics to logistically challenging depending on sample size
attitudes, opinions and beliefs. needed and geographic coverage required. Data
Respondents may be more confident that may lack depth. Prone to error, particularly if an
their anonymity will be preserved. additional data entry step is required.
Focus Group A type of group interview. Efficient way to gather qualitative data from Requires strong facilitation skills and thorough
Discussions (FGDs) Can be used to find out a large group of people. Group settings can notetaking is important for the analysis of
what issues are of most stimulate important insights. results. Individuals who prefer anonymity may
concern for a not participate. Replication is difficult. Results
group/community. are specific to the study participants.
Key Informant Qualitative, in-depth Can provide in-depth information from a More time consuming and potentially expensive
Interviews (KII) interviews of people who knowledgeable source or important approach to reach a small sample size.
have particularly informed stakeholder. Allow for new ideas to emerge. Information may be biased, and it can be difficult
perspectives on an aspect to analyze results, especially across a large
of what is being evaluated. number of respondents.
1 Collects (“harvests”) evidence of what has changed (“outcomes”) and, then, working backwards, determines whether and how an intervention has contributed to these changes.
External / Data that is routinely Review of official records and data that is Requires permission to access this information;
Operational Data collected. routinely collected by third parties can accessing the data may involve complex
provide data that is readily available, procedures. May be incomplete, not
inexpensive to collect and otherwise generalizable or statistically significant or directly
inaccessible (e.g. health clinic stats). relevant to the project participants. Need to
Historical data can provide useful insight on understand how the information is collected to
change over time. know its reliability.
Direct Observation Systematic, structured Good way to gather data about practices Poor method for establishing cause-effect
process, using observation and behaviour. relations.
record forms. Observer’s presence, if known, may influence
participants’ behavior.
Appreciative Involves searching for “the The questions we ask and the stories we Can risk ignoring or denying problems; not giving
Inquiry best of what is” to design elicit can influence behaviour, decisions, people space to mourn what has been difficult.
and deliver based on and the future. A positive approach will Has been criticized for not digging deep enough.
imagining “what could be.” build on what is working.
Case Studies Focuses on a particular Rather inexpensive compared to other Poor method for establishing cause-effect
element, e.g. a person, a methods and can provide rich qualitative relations. The person or event may not be
project, a project element. data and insights into what change is really representative. Often relies heavily on the
Often combines happening and why. Puts data into a usable researcher’s subjective interpretations.
quantitative and qualitative format for those who read the data and If there are different demographics involved, or
data. want to understand outcomes. Can study different needs which must be examined,
rare phenomena in depth. method becomes very inefficient.
Storytelling Individual narrative, Can provide insight into the change process Needs to be combined with other sources of
providing qualitative data and results, illuminate or illustrate data, and to include perspectives of the full range
from one point of view and quantitative data, identify issues. Software of participants. Requires high degree of trust of
a particular time. can support categorization and analysis of evaluator, skilled listening and recording, and
story elements. Allows people to do their acute attention to research ethics and
own sensemaking. confidentiality. Aggregation can be challenging.
Photovoice/Photos Participatory photography Helps explore key questions in the research Requires equipment—means to take pictures
as a way for marginalized or change over time and can empower and upload, email or send in. Difficulty in
populations to convey their participants (by putting tools in their analyzing or making sense of photos and showing
reality and tell their stories. hands), to remedy power imbalances in the complex issues. Need to be aware of potential
research relationship, and provide insights risks to participants and issues of consent and
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