Page 114 - DMGT209_QUANTITATIVE_TECHNIQUES_II

Unit 7: Sources and Methods of Data Collection

be less authentic if the source hides information or alters facts due to some personal Notes
reasons. There are methods that can be employed to ensure factual yielding of data from
the source.
3. Reliability: Reliability is the certainty that the research is enough true to be trusted on.
For example, if a research study concludes that junk food consumption does not increase
the risk of cancer and heart diseases. This conclusion should have to be drawn from a
sample whose size, sampling technique and variability is not questionable. Reliability
improves with using primary data. In the similar research mentioned above if the researcher
uses experimental method and questionnaires the results will be highly reliable. On the
other hand, if he relies on the data available in books and on internet he will collect
information that does not represent the real facts.

Sources of Primary Data

Sources for primary data are limited and at times it becomes difficult to obtain data from
primary source because of either scarcity of population or lack of cooperation. Regardless of any
difficulty one can face in collecting primary data; it is the most authentic and reliable data
source. Following are some of the sources of primary data:

1. Experiments: Experiments require an artificial or natural setting in which to perform
logical study to collect data. Experiments are more suitable for medicine, psychological
studies, nutrition and for other scientific studies. In experiments the experimenter has to
keep control over the influence of any extraneous variable on the results.
2. Survey: Survey is most commonly used method in social sciences, management, marketing
and psychology to some extent. Surveys can be conducted in different methods.

 Questionnaire: It is the most commonly used method in survey. Questionnaires are a
list of questions either open-ended or close-ended for which the respondents give
answers. Questionnaire can be conducted via telephone, mail, live in a public area,
or in an institute, through electronic mail or through fax and other methods.
 Interview: Interview is a face-to-face conversation with the respondent. In interview
the main problem arises when the respondent deliberately hides information
otherwise it is an in depth source of information. The interviewer can not only
record the statements the interviewee speaks but he can observe the body language,
expressions and other reactions to the questions too. This enables the interviewer to
draw conclusions easily.
 Observations: Observation can be done while letting the observing person know that
he is being observed or without letting him know. Observations can also be made in
natural settings as well as in artificially created environment.

7.1.2 Secondary Data

Secondary data are statistics that already exist. They have been gathered not for immediate use.
This may be described as “those data that have been compiled by some agency other than the
user”.

Did u know? What is the categorization of Secondary data?

Secondary data can be classified as:
 Internal secondary data
 External secondary data

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