Tools Of Data Collection That You Need To Know
How seriously do your organization take data collection? Data collection is a very important aspect of any business today. If you want to prove this, you need to compare two different businesses, the one that is keen to properly collect it is data and also the one that does not. You will at long last realize that the difference is extreme. So what data collection tools that your business or organization employs? There are many data collection tools that you can use. This article explores some of those tools.
Case studies
A case study is of one of the most common techniques that are used in data collection. It involves in-depth study of a structure, a company or any other entity with the intention of coming out with particular information. The case study involves a combination of quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques. Most people who participate in making use of this tool normally begin analysing quantitative data first before moving to qualitative. The qualitative part is used to derive meaning from the data that is collected.
Checklists
Checklists are normally meant to evaluate a person’s performance or even artifact. They sometimes can be as simple as a register when people are marked either present or absent. Checklists are also very important tools of data collection as they can be used to evaluate database, the use of library space, virtual IM service, or for the structuring of observation instruction sessions.
Interviews
Interviews are widely used all over the globe. They can be carried out in two different ways. First, it can be between two individuals, or it can involve a particular company and a large group of people. The data can be recorded using tapes, or they can even be written down. In an interview, it is normally assumed that there are a questioner and an interviewee. The main purpose of the interview is to question the interviewee about the matter of interest.
Observation
Observation is common to nearly everybody. People have always used this tool to collect data in many occasions. The good thing with this method is that it can be done whether the subject is aware that you are observing them or not. Depending on your project, observation can be a simple and easy technique of data collection as it is very flexible. There are three major types of observations;
- Descriptive observation
- Inferential observations
- Evaluative observation