This innovative book provides students and researchers alike with an indispensible introduction to the key theoretical issues and practical methods needed for data collection.
It uses clear definitions, relevant interdisciplinary examples from around the world and up-to-date suggestions for further reading to demonstrate how to usefully gather and use qualitative, quantitative, and mixed data sets.
The book is divided into seven critical parts:
• Data Collection: An Introduction to Research Practices
• Collecting Qualitative Data
• Observation and Informed Methods
• Experimental and Systematic Data Collection
• Survey Methods for Data Collection
• The Case Study Method of Data Collection
• Concluding Suggestions for Data Collection Groups
A stimulating, practical guide which can be read as individual concepts or as a whole this will be an important resource for students and research professionals.
Wendy Olsen is Senior Lecturer at Manchester University, Institute for Development Policy & Management and Cathie Marsh Centre for Census & Survey Research
PART ONE: DATA COLLECTION: AN INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH PRACTICES
Research and Data Collection
Findings
Data
Causes
Sampling
Further Reading for Part One
PART TWO: COLLECTING QUALITATIVE DATA
Interviews
Transcripts
Coding
Meaning
Interpretation
Observer Bias
Representations
Focus Groups
Document Analysis
Accuracy
Ethical Clearance
Further Reading for Part Two
PART THREE: OBSERVATION AND INVOLVED METHODS
Participation
Praxis
Action Research
Observation Methods
Online Data Collection
Further Reading for Part Three
PART FOUR: EXPERIMENTAL AND SYSTEMATIC DATA COLLECTION
Questionnaire Design
Handling Treatment Data
The Ethics of Volunteers
Market-Research Techniques
Creating Systematic Case Study Data
Further Reading for Part Four
PART FIVE: SURVEY METHODS FOR DATA COLLECTION
Operationalisation
Measurement
Causality
Data Cleaning
Data Extraction
Outliers
Subsetting of Data
Survey Weights
Further Reading for Part Five
PART SIX: THE CASE STUDY METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION
Case Study Research
Comparative Research
Configurations
Contingency
Causal Mechanisms
Further Reading for Part Six
PART SEVEN: CONCLUDING SUGGESTIONS ABOUT DATA COLLECTION CONCEPTS
Facts
Reality
Retroduction
Further Reading for Part Seven
