17-Mar-21

Topic - 11

I welcome all of you to session on methods of

data collection in qualitative research.

Out line of the session

Recapitulation of Topic-10
 Data collection methods in Qual. research
Interview
Observation
Focus Group Discussion (FGD)
Reference for this session
Sample questions from this session

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Recapitulation of Topic-10
•In previous session we have discussed a research
strategy (i.e. case study). This is very relevant in
data collection, but not a data collection method.
This is mostly relevant in qualitative research, but
can be used in quantitative research also. One single
case selection is common fashion, but can be
selected more units also. After selection of
case/cases can be used suitable qualitative or
quantitative methods for primary data collection.

Data Collection …..Qual. Research

There are a number of methods for collecting data
in qualitative research. Align with your course
syllabus I will elaborately discuss the following
methods in the class. However, in this session I
will try 1, 2, and 3.

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Continued
1. Interview (personal, one-to-one, face-to-face)
2. Observation
3. Focus Group Discussion (FGD)
4. Case Study (though it is a research strategy)
5. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)

Interview
•Defining interview
•Types of interview
•Doing the interview
•Writing up after interview
•Ethical issues in interview
•Evaluating interview data
•Limitations of interview

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Defining interview
Interview is a good technique for researchers less
interested in “variables” and more interested in how
individuals subjectively see the world and make
sense of their lives.

Generally, of two types; unstructured or in-depth and

structured from the structural point of view.

Unstructured or in-depth
•Face-to-face conversation
•Suited for exploratory research
•Do not follow pre-determined set of questions
•Open-ended items are also included
•Helps to go in-depth
•Cannot perfectly standardize
•Good for complex situations

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Structured
•Use mostly pre-determined set of questions
•Maintains standardization
•Personality …of interviewer is very important
•Training of interviewer is very important
•Follow wording exactly in asking questions
•Record responses in a careful way

Doing the Interview

•Introduction and Building Rapport
explain purpose again
verbal confidentiality assurance
no right or wrong answers…
o.k. to ask questions and clarify
ask permission to record

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Continued
•Your Questions
If flexible format… list of issues to talk about
To get rich data: probe and follow

•Conducting Interview
• note taking; clarify something; to keep you focused
silence and patience; balanced with keeping the interview going
redirect, if long-winded departures, to back to your line of focus

After the Interview…

•Summary and notes of main points
•Verbatim transcripts (don’t let them pile up)
•Ideas – tentative pieces of analysis
•Methodological difficulties
•Personal emotional experience

•Responding to interviewee requests; emotional

issues?

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Ethical Issues
•Use of unobtrusive measures (including archival
records) raises ethical issues
 Participants are not given the right to consent
 Many archival records contain sensitive data
•Researchers need to show the necessity for
unobtrusive measures and safeguards to protect the
rights of the participants
•Must have approval

Evaluating the Data

The data from interview is a rich set of information

Data usually needs to be coded for simplification and

organization

The analyses will depend on the questions and the

level of data produced after coding

Must be cautious in interpreting data from interview

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Limitations
• Poor representativeness

• Poor replicability

• Limitations of the interviewer

• Going beyond the data

Observation
•Defining

•Types

•Challenges

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Defining observation
Examining or scrutinizing some thing with definite
purpose

Knowledge/understandings are drawn through the use of

sense organs

Traditionally used by the anthropologist and sociologist

Is concerned with neither what a respondent places on

paper nor with what he says in an interview

Continued
 Deals with the overt behavior of persons in appropriate
situations, sometimes in normal living or sometimes in
conditioned environment

Most relevant where there are no records, oral or written

documents of any sort

Necessitating the development of benchmark studies

Also applicable to do research with illiterate or less-literate

population or subject group

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Continued
Extremely effective where researcher is particularly
interested in a whole cycle of activities of the
population

E.g. want to explore the livelihood of methor

(scavenger) community in Chattogram City.

Generally, classified into two types; participant and

non-participant.

Participant Observation
• It is extremely difficult and time consuming but very effective

• To do this the researcher become a part of the subject population

• Researcher collects data taking part in the activities of the subject

population

• Generally writes notes and organizes data when researcher be

alone

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Continued
• In majority cases will live in the community long enough
to observe the whole cycle of activities

• Obvious advantage is researcher can watch and keep tract

on behavioral pattern

• It is a formal means of obtaining data in anthropological

research

Non-participant Observation
•In this method researcher finds a way of being
separate from the action of the subject population

•Works as an indifferent observer

•Similar of participant method researcher writes

notes and organizes data when be alone

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Continued
•There is obviously difference between the gravity of
information collected through P. and N.P. methods

•N.P. is generally used to trace-out the process of any

particular occasion mostly (e.g. want to know the
marriage system of Manipuri Community of Sylhet
Region)

Challenges of Observation
•Lack of precision (clear standard) in defining
behavior

•Complexity of recording and deviation of data

•Difference in perspective and observer’s bias

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Continued
• Absence in some occasions due to simultaneous
occurrence (e.g. a marriage ceremony and a funeral can
be happen simultaneously in a community, tough for the
same observer to trace both)

• Degree of acquaintance with the subjects (e.g. very

difficult for a non-Chittagonian or non-Sylhety to be
native, acceptance rate is too low)

Focus Group Discussion (FGD)

•Defining

•Requirements

•Setting the ground rules

•Advantages

•Disadvantages and challenges

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Defining FGD
•FGD is a special type of group discussion
•It is focused on theme or issue, not on
participants
•Conducted to discuss one or more than one topic
•However, not more than 2-3 major topics

Continued
•Allows interactions among moderator and participants
•It helps to crystalize the participants’ opinions
•Generally, it does not use in isolation, rather use with
other methods
•Provide useful info. to know various procedures,
systems, or products

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Requirements
•Small group, consisting of 6 to 10 participants

•Group can be consists of similar or diverse

participants

•Coordination of issues by the trained moderator

•Paying your subjects, maintaining the focus of

the group discussion

Continued
•Finding a place, maintaining equal and congenial
environment, making perfect layout of the setting

•Need at least two research team members;

assistance and note-taking

•1 hour is best timing, if not must be completed

within 2 hours

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Setting the Ground Rules

•Moderator must sets the issues of confidentiality,
incld. confidentiality of all info. shared and recorded
by the researcher

•Moderator needs to be careful about ensuring each

other’s privacy

•Can sets rule to speaking one at a time and not to

criticize others

Continued
•Try to avoid close-ended questions, and why
questions

•Emphasize on what questions

•Of course somehow manage or neutralize any

unavoidable but influential participant (e.g. kutub
in our culture) in the group

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Advantages
•Real-life data in a social setting
•Flexibility
•Speedy results
•Low in cost
•Group format generates discussion

Disadvantages and Challenges

•Control and coordination is difficult than one-to-

one interview

•Data more difficult to analyze

•Moderator needs to be skilled

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Continued
•Differences between groups can be troublesome

•Probing and follow-up questions are difficult to

raise and manage

•Moderator’s training is critical

Reference for this session

Aminuzzaman, M. Salahuddin, Essentials of

Social Research, PP 62-69, 112-131.

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Sample questions from this session

1)What are the major methods of data collection in
qualitative research? When and how do you can select
interview as the method of data collection? Explain.

2)What are the major forms of observation in social science

research? How this method of data collection is distinctive
from other methods?

3) What is Focus Group Discussion (FGD)? Discuss the

major advantages and challenges of FGD is social research.

Thanks 

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