Collection of Primary Data

The task of data collection begins after a research problem has been defined and research
design/plan chalked out. While deciding about the method of data collection to be used for the
study, the researcher should keep in mind two types of data viz., primary and secondary. The
primary data are those which are collected afresh and for the first time, and thus happen to be
original in character .The secondary data, on the other hand, are those which have already been
collected by someone else and which have already been passed through the statistical process.
The researcher would have to decide which sort of data he would be using (thus collecting) for
his study and accordingly he will have to select one or the other method of data collection.

We collect primary data during the course of doing experiments in an experimental

research but in case we do research of the descriptive type and perform surveys, whether sample
surveys or census surveys, then we can obtain primary data either through observation or through
direct communication with respondents in one form or another or through personal interviews.
This, in other words, means that there are several methods of collecting primary data,
particularly in surveys and descriptive researches. Important ones are: (i) observation method,
(ii) interview method, (iii) through questionnaires,(iv) through schedules, and (v) other methods
which include (a) warranty cards; (b) distributor audits; (c) pantry audits; (d) consumer panels;
(e) using mechanical devices; (f) through projective techniques; (g) depth interviews, and (h)
content analysis.

Observation Method:

The observation method is the most commonly used method specially in studies relating
to behavioural sciences. In a way we all observe things around us, but this sort of observation is
not scientific observation. Observation becomes a scientific tool and the method of data
collection for the researcher, when it serves a formulated research purpose, is systematically
planned and recorded and is subjected to checks and controls on validity and reliability. Under
the observation method, the information is sought by way of investigator’s own direct
observation without asking from the respondent. For instance, in a study relating to consumer
behaviour, the investigator instead of asking the brand of wrist watch used by the respondent,
may himself look at the watch. The main advantage of this method is that subjective bias is
eliminated, if observation is done accurately. Secondly, the information obtained under this
method relates to what is currently happening; it is not complicated by either the past behaviour
or future intentions or attitudes. Thirdly, this method is independent of respondents’ willingness
to respond and as such is relatively less demanding of active cooperation on the part of
respondents as happens to be the case in the interview or the questionnaire method. This method
is particularly suitable in studies which deal with subjects (i.e., respondents) who are not capable
of giving verbal reports of their feelings for one reason or the other. However, observation
method has various limitations. Firstly, it is an expensive method. Secondly, the information
provided by this method is very limited. Thirdly, sometimes unforeseen factors may interfere
with the observational task. At times, the fact that some people are rarely accessible to direct
observation creates obstacle for this method to collect data effectively.

Interview Method

The interview method of collecting data involves presentation of oral-verbal stimuli and
reply interms of oral-verbal responses. This method can be used through personal interviews and,
if possible, through telephone interviews.

(a) Personal interviews:

Personal interview method requires a person known as the interviewer asking questions
generally in a face-to-face contact to the other person or persons. (At times the interviewee may
also ask certain questions and the interviewer responds to these, but usually the interviewer
initiates the interview and collects the information.) This sort of interview may be in the form of
direct personal investigation or it may be indirect oral investigation. In the case of direct personal
investigation the interviewer has to collect the information personally from the sources
concerned. He has to be on the spot and has to meet people from whom data have to be collected.
This method is particularly suitable for intensive investigations.

But in certain cases it may not be possible or worthwhile to contact directly the persons
concerned or on account of the extensive scope of enquiry, the direct personal investigation
technique may not be used. In such cases an indirect oral examination can be conducted under
which the interviewer has to cross-examine other persons who are supposed to have knowledge
about the problem under investigation and the information, obtained is recorded. Most of the
commissions and committees appointed by government to carry on investigations make use of
this method. The method of collecting information through personal interviews is usually carried
out in a structured way. As such we call the interviews as structured interviews. Such interviews
involve the use of a set of predetermined questions and of highly standardised techniques of
recording. Thus, the interviewer in a structured interview follows a rigid procedure laid down,
asking questions in a form and order prescribed. As against it, the unstructured interviews are
characterised by a flexibility of approach to questioning.
Unstructured interviews do not follow a system of pre-determined questions and
standardised techniques of recording information. In a non-structured interview, the interviewer
is allowed much greater freedom to ask, in case of need, supplementary questions he may omit
certain questions if the situation so requires. He may even change the sequence of questions. He
has relatively greater freedom while recording the responses to include some aspects and exclude
others. But this sort of flexibility results in lack of comparability of one interview with another
and the analysis of unstructured responses becomes much more difficult and time-consuming
than that of the structured responses obtained in case of structured interviews. Unstructured
interviews also demand deep knowledge and greater skill on the part of the interviewer.
Unstructured interview, however, happens to be the central technique of collecting information
in case of exploratory or formulative research studies. But in case of descriptive studies, we quite
often use the technique of structured interview because of its being more economical, providing
a safe basis for generalization and requiring relatively lesser skill on the part of the interviewer.

b) Telephone interviews:

This method of collecting information consists in contacting respondents on telephone

itself. It is not a very widely used method, but plays important part in Industrial surveys,
particularly in developed regions. The chief merits of such a system are:

1. It is more flexible in comparison to mailing method.

2. It is faster than other methods i.e., a quick way of obtaining information.

3. It is cheaper than personal interviewing method; here the cost per response is relatively
low.
 4. Recall is easy; callbacks are simple and economical.

5. There is a higher rate of response than what we have in mailing method; the non-
response is generally very low.

6. Replies can be recorded without causing embarrassment to respondents.

7. Interviewer can explain requirements more easily.

COLLECTION OF DATA THROUGH QUESTIONNAIRES:

This method of data collection is quite popular, particularly in case of big enquiries. It is
being adopted by private individuals, research workers, private and public organisations and
even by governments. In this method a questionnaire is sent (usually by post) to the persons
concerned with a request to answer the questions and return the questionnaire. A questionnaire
consists of a number of questions printed or typed in a definite order on a form or set of forms.
The questionnaire is mailed to respondents who are expected to read and understand the
questions and write down the reply in the space meant for the purpose in the questionnaire itself.
The respondents have to answer the questions on their own. The method of collecting data by
mailing the questionnaires to respondents is most extensively employed in various economic and
business surveys.

SOME OTHER METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION

Let us consider some other methods of data collection, particularly used by big business
houses in modern times.

1.Warranty cards: Warranty cards are usually postal sized cards which are used by dealers of
consumer durables to collect information regarding their products. The information sought is
printed in the form of questions on the ‘warranty cards’ which is placed inside the package along
with the product with a request to the consumer to fill in the card and post it back to the dealer.

2.Distributor or store audits: Distributor or store audits are performed by distributors as well as
manufactures through their salesmen at regular intervals. Distributors get the retail stores audited
through salesmen and use such information to estimate market size, market share, seasonal
purchasing pattern and so on.
3.Pantry audits: Pantry audit technique is used to estimate consumption of the basket of goods
at the consumer level. In this type of audit, the investigator collects an inventory of types,
quantities and prices of commodities consumed. Thus in pantry audit data are recorded from the
examination of consumer’s pantry. The usual objective in a pantry audit is to find out what types
of consumers buy certain products and certain brands, the assumption being that the contents of
the pantry accurately portray consumer’s preferences. Quite often, pantry audits are
supplemented by direct questioning relating to reasons and circumstances under which particular
products were purchased in an attempt to relate these factors to purchasing habits.

4.Consumer panels: An extension of the pantry audit approach on a regular basis is known as
‘consumer panel’, where a set of consumers are arranged to come to an understanding to
maintain detailed daily records of their consumption and the same is made available to
investigator on demands. In other words, a consumer panel is essentially a sample of consumers
who are interviewed repeatedly over a period of time.

5.Use of mechanical devices: The use of mechanical devices has been widely made to collect
information by way of indirect means. Eye camera, Pupilo metric camera, Psycho galvanometer,
Motion picture camera and Audiometer are the principal devices so far developed and commonly
used by modern big business houses, mostly in the developed world for the purpose of collecting
the required information.

6.Projective techniques: Projective techniques (or what are sometimes called as indirect
interviewing techniques) for the collection of data have been developed by psychologists to use
projections of respondents for inferring about underlying motives, urges, or intentions which are
such that the respondent either resists to reveal them or is unable to figure out himself. In
projective techniques the respondent in supplying information tends unconsciously to project his
own attitudes or feelings on the subject under study. Projective techniques play an important role
in motivational researches or in attitude surveys