RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND REPORT

PREPERATION
Module – II
Data Collection Methods

Prepared by Prof. P Kalyani

Contents
• Data Collection Methods
• Measurement and Scaling
Data Collection Methods

• Basically Data will be of two types:

• Primary Data
• Secondary Data
• Primary Data is originated by the researcher for the specific purpose
of addressing the research problem.
• Secondary Data is the data collected for some purpose other than the
problem at hand.
• There are Different methods of collecting Primary and Secondary data
Advantages and Uses of Secondary Data
• Identify the Problem
• Better Define the Problem
• Develop an approach to the Problem
• Formulate an appropriate Research Design
• Answer certain Research Questions
• Interpret Primary data more insightfully
Criteria for Evaluating Secondary Data
• Accuracy
• Currency
• Objective
• Nature
• Dependability
Classification of Secondary Data
Secondary Data

Internal External

Published
Ready to Use Material

Requires Further Computerised

Processing Databases

Syndicated
Services
Secondary Data from Published Sources
• Books, Newspapers, Magazines and Journals
• Government Publications
• International Publications
• Reports of Committees and Commissions
• Private Publications
• Research Institutes and Research Scholars
Some of the Important Websites for
Published Data
• www.rbi.org
• www.data.gov.in
• www.mca.gov.in
• www.irdai.gov.in
• www.mospi.gov.in
• https://censusindia.gov.in
• https://niti.gov.in
• https://home.kpmg
• www.data.wto.org
Computerised Databases
Digital Libraries
• Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET)(Shodganga)
• Indian National Digital Library in Engineering Sciences and Technology
(INDEST) Consortium
Research Publications Databases
• Google Scholar
• Ebsco
• Amizone Digital Library
BSE/NSE Websites
Mobile Apps
Syndicated Services
• Indiastat.com
• CMIE (Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy Pvt. Ltd.)
Primary Data Vs. Secondary Data
Primary Data Collection Methods
• The important Primary data collection methods are:
• Observation Method
• Survey Method
Primary data Collection Instruments
• Through Questionnaires
• Through Schedules
Observation Method

• Observation refers to the recording of behavioural patterns

of people, objects and events in a systematic manner to
obtain information about the phenomenon of interest.
• Observational methods may be:
• Structured Vs. Unstructured Observation
• Disguised Vs. Undisguised Observation
• Natural Vs. Contrived Observation
Structured Vs. Unstructured Observation
• In a Structured Observation the researcher clearly defines the
behaviours to be observed and the methods by which they will be
measured.
• In an Unstructured Observation the researcher monitors all relevant
phenomena without specifying the details in advance
Disguised Vs. Undisguised Observation
• In Disguised Observation, the respondents are unaware that they are
being observed.
• In Undisguised Observation, the respondents are aware that they are
under observation.
Natural Vs. Contrived Observation

Natural Observation:
Observing behaviour as it takes place in the environment
Contrived Observation:
The behaviour is observed in an artificial environment
Observation Methods Classified by Mode of
Administration
• Personal Observation
• Mechanical Observation
• Pantry Audit
• Content Analysis (phenomenon to be observed is communication
medium)
• Trace Analysis
Survey Method
• Survey method of obtaining information is based on the questioning
of respondents.
• Variety of questions regarding their behaviour, intentions, attitudes,
Awareness, motivations, and demographic and lifestyle
characteristics.
• Structured Data Collection
• Fixed Alternative Questions
Disagree Agree
Shopping in Department Stores is Fun 1 2 3 4 5
Advantages:
• Simple to Administer
• Responses are limited to the alternatives stated, therefore
coding, analysis and interpretation of data are relatively
simple.
Disadvantages:
• Unwillingness of the respondents to provide desired
information
• Framing the questionnaire is not an easy task
Measurement and Scaling
Measurement:
• Assigning numbers or other symbols to characteristics of objects
according to certain prespecified rules.
• What we measure is not the object but some characteristics of it.
• For example when we want to know about our consumers, we try to
measure consumers through their characteristics like perceptions,
attitudes, preferences etc.
Measurement Contd…
• Assigning numbers help us in two ways:
• First, numbers permit statistical analysis of the resulting data.
• Second, numbers facilitate the communication of measurement rules
and results.
• The most important aspect of measurement is the specification of
rules for assigning numbers to the characteristics.
• The assignment process must be isomorphic
Scaling
• Scaling may be considered an extension of measurement
• Scaling involves creating a continuum upon which measured objects
are located.
Scale Characteristics and Level of Measurement
• All the scales that we use in business research can be described in
terms of four basic characteristics.
• They are:
• Description
• Order
• Distance
• Origin
• The level of measurement denotes what properties of an object the
scale is measuring or not measuring.
Primary Scales of Measurement

• Nominal Scale
• Ordinal Scale
• Interval Scale
• Ratio Scale
Nominal Scale
• A scale whose numbers serve only as labels or tags for identifying and
classifying objects.
• The only characteristic possessed by these scales is description
• These scales are generally used to identify respondents, brands,
attributes etc.
• Categorical data
• Mutually exclusive Data
• Examples: Gender, Political Affiliation, Name etc.
Ordinal Scale
• A ranking scale in which numbers are assigned to objects to indicate
the relative extent to which some characteristic is possessed.
• An ordinal scale allows you to determine whether an object has more
or less of a characteristic than some other object, but not how much
more or less.
• The ordinal scale possesses both the characteristics of description
and order.
• Examples: Socio economic status, students rank in a graduation
course etc.
Interval Scale
• A scale in which the numbers are used to rate objects such that
numerically equal distances on the scale represent equal distances in
the characteristic being measured.
• The difference between any two scale values is identical to the
difference between any other two adjacent values of an interval scale.
• A common example in everyday life is a temperature scale.
• This scale possess three characteristics i.e. description, order,
distance.
• This scale doesn’t possess a true zero value or the zero value is
arbitrary.
Ratio Scale
• A ratio scale possesses all the properties of the nominal, ordinal and
interval scales and in addition an absolute zero point.
• It is the highest scale. It allows the researcher to identify or classify
objects, rank/order the objects and compare intervals or differences.
• Examples of ratio scale are height, weight, age, money etc.
Identify which Scale?

I Like to Solve Crossword Puzzles

Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

Disagree Agree
1 2 3 4 5
Identify which Scale?

Gender
Male Female
1 2
Identify which Scale?
Please rank the following activities in terms of your preference by assigning
ranks 1 (most preferred) to 5 (least preferred).
I Reading Magazines ____________________________
II Watching Television ____________________________
III Shopping ____________________________
IV Eating Out ____________________________
V Listening to Music ____________________________
Identify which Scale?

What is your Pan No? ____________________

Identify which Scale?
• How much money did you spend on each of these 5 stores during the
last two months?
1. More Mega Stores __________
2. Ratnadeep _________
3. Spencers __________
4. D Mart ___________
Identify which Scale?
• Why do you go to a Library?
• Studying _____
• Sleeping _____
• Research _____
• Others _____
Identify which Scale?
• Which of these is not an example of nominal scale?
• Numbers on Football Jersey
• Gender
• Favourite brand
• Exam Grades
Identify which Scale?
• Interval scales are exactly like ratio scales, except that they have a
true zero point.
• True
• False
Comparative Scaling
• Comparative scales involve the direct comparison of objects.
• Comparative scale data must be interpreted in relative terms and
have only ordinal or rank order properties.
• Non Metric Scaling
Paired Comparison Scaling
• A comparative scaling technique in which a respondent is presented
with two objects at a time and asked to select one object in the pair
according to some criterion.
• The data obtained are ordinal in nature.
• Under the assumption of transitivity, it is possible to convert paired
comparison data to a rank order.
• Several modifications of the paired comparison technique have been
suggested.
• Inclusion of a neutral point
• Graded Comparison (includes degree of preference)
• Paired comparison scaling is useful when the number of brands is
limited.
Paired Comparison Scaling Example
Rank Order Scaling

• A comparative scaling technique in which respondents are presented

with several objects simultaneously and asked to order or rank them
according to some criterion.
• Results in ordinal Data
• Requires less number of scaling decisions
• Relatively easy to understand the instructions
Rank Order Scaling Example
Constant Sum Scaling

• A comparative scaling technique in which respondents are required to

allocate a constant sum of units such as points, dollars, chits, stickers,
or chips among a set of objects with respect to some criterion.
• The different criterion are scaled by counting the points assigned to
each one by all the respondents.
• One draw back is respondents may allocate more or fewer units than
those specified.
• Another problem is rounding error.
Constant Sum Scaling Example
Q-Sort and Other Procedures

• A comparative scaling technique that uses a rank order procedure to

sort objects based on similarity with respect to some criterion.
Non Comparative Scaling
• Each object is scaled independently of the other objects
• Also referred to as monadic or metric scales
• The resulting data are generally assumed to be interval or ratio
scaled.
• Example: Evaluate coke on a 1 to 6 preference scale (1 = not at all
preferred, 6= greatly preferred
Continuous Rating Scale
• Also referred to as graphic rating scale
• This measurement scale has the respondents rate the objects by placing a
mark at the appropriate position on the line that runs from one extreme of
the criterion variable to the other.
• Example:
How would you rate Ratnadeep as a grocery store?
Version 1
Probably the worst ------------------------------------------ Probably the best
Version 2
Probably the worst ------------------------------------------ Probably the best
10 20 30 40 50 60
Itemised Rating Scales
• A measurement scale having numbers and or descriptions associated
with each category. The categories are ordered in terms of scale
position
• Likert Scale
• Semantic Differential Scale
• Staple Scale
Likert Scale
• A Likert Scale is a scale with five response categories that ranges
from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”, wherein the respondent
is asked to indicate the degree of agreement or disagreement with
each of the statements related to the stimulus object under analysis.
Example of Likert Scale
• Listed here are different opinions about Pantaloons. Please indicate
how strongly you agree or disagree with each by using the following
scale: 1 = Strongly Agree; 2= Disagree; 3= Neither Agree nor Disagree;
4 = Agree; 5 = Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree Neither Agree Strongly
Disagree Agree Agree
Nor
Disagree
1. Pantaloons sells high quality X
merchandise
2. Pantaloons has poor in store service X
3. I Like to shop at Pantaloons X
4. Pantaloons charges fair prices X
5. Pantaloons sells a wide variety of X
merchandise
Merits and Demerits of Likert Scale
• Likert scale data are typically treated interval.
• It is easy to construct and administer
• It is easy for the respondent to understand
• It suits for all types of survey methods
• Demerits
• It takes longer time for the respondents to complete
• Difficult to interpret the response to a Likert item, especially if it is an
unfavourable statement
Semantic Differential Scale
• It is a 7 point rating scale with end points associated with Bipolar
Labels than have semantic meaning with seven points seven empty
points in between (the extreme points mean the bipolar labels)
• The respondent mark the blank that best indicates how they would
describe the object being rated.
• Example
Pantaloons is:
Powerful --:--:--:--:-X-:--:--: Weak
Unreliable --:--:--:--:--:-X-:--: Reliable
Modern --:--:--:--:--:--:-X-: Old-fashioned
Cold --:--:--:--:--:-X-:--: Warm
Careful --:-X-:--:--:--:--:--: Careless
• The negative adjective or phrase sometimes appears at the left side
of the scale and sometimes at the right.
• This controls the tendency of some respondents, particularly those
with very positive or very negative attitudes, to mark the right- or
left-hand sides without reading the labels.
• Individual items on a semantic differential scale may be scored on
either a -3 to +3 or a 1 to 7 scale.
Stapel Scale
• It is developed after its developer, Jan Stapel
• It is a unipolar rating scale with 10 categories numbered from -5 to
+5, without a neutral point (zero)
• This scale is usually presented vertically
• Respondents are asked how accurately or inaccurately each term
describes the object by selecting an appropriate numerical response
category
Stapel Scale Illustration
Pantaloons
+5 +5
+4 +4
+3 +3
+2 +2X
+1 +1
High Quality Poor Service
-1 -1
-2X -2
-3 -3
-4 -4
-5 -5
• The data obtained by using staple scale are generally treated as
interval and can be analysed in the same way as a semantic
differential data.
• Some of the researchers believe that staple scale is confusing and
difficult to apply and is the least used among the three itemised
rating scales.
Non Comparative Itemised Rating Scale
Decisions
• The researcher must take six major decisions when constructing any
of the itemised rating scales. They are:
• 1. The number of scale categories to use
• 2. Balanced versus Unbalance scale
• 3. Odd or even number of categories
• 4. Forced Vs. Non Forced Choice
• 5. The nature and degree of the verbal description
• 6. The Physical form of the scale
Number of Scale Categories
• How many categories (or points) should be there in a particular scale?
• Consider the knowledge levels of respondent
• Method of Survey
Balanced Vs. Unbalanced Scale
• Balanced Scale – Favourable and Unfavourable categories are equal
• Unbalanced Scale – Favourable and Unfavourable categories are
unequal
• Unbalanced scale can be positively skewed or negatively skewed
Odd or Even Number of Categories
• Odd Number of Categories – Will have a middle scale position
generally designated as neutral or impartial
Forced Vs. Non Forced Scales
• Forced Rating Scales – Respondents are forced to express an opinion
• Non Forced Rating Scales – No force on the respondents to express an
opinion
Nature and Degree of Verbal Description
• Scale categories may have verbal, numerical or even pictorial
descriptions
• Decision related to labelling every scale category
• The strength of the adjectives used to anchor the scale may influence
the distribution of the response
Physical Form or Configuration
• Number of options to configure the physical form of the scale are
available.
• Vertical scale or horizontal scale
• Boxes, discrete lines, numbers on a continuum etc. can be used
Smiley Face Likert Scale
Configuration of a Semantic Differential Scale