Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited DATA COLLECTION AND PREPARATION FOR DATA ANALYSIS Chapter 16 Part 4 Sampling and Data

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited

DATA COLLECTION AND PREPARATION FOR

DATA ANALYSIS Chapter

16

Part 4

Sampling and Data Collection

LEARNING OBJECTIVESLEARNING OBJECTIVESLEARNING OBJECTIVESLEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. To discuss the job and training requirements of fieldworkers

2. To understand how fieldworkers secure interviews

3. To understand the major principles of asking questions in the field

4. To discuss the activities involved in the management and supervision of fieldworkers

5. To define and explain the terms editing and coding

6. To code fixed-alternative and open-ended questions

7. To define the term code book

What you will learn in this chapter

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited 16–1

• FieldworkerFieldworkerAn individual who is responsible for gathering data in

the field

The Nature of FieldworkThe Nature of FieldworkThe Nature of FieldworkThe Nature of Fieldwork


• Field Interviewing ServiceField Interviewing ServiceA research supplier that specializes in gathering data

• Briefing SessionBriefing SessionA training session to ensure that each interviewer is

provided with common information to a particular project

Who Conducts The Fieldwork?Who Conducts The Fieldwork?Who Conducts The Fieldwork?Who Conducts The Fieldwork?


• Making Initial Contact and Securing the Making Initial Contact and Securing the InterviewInterviewResearchers must be trained to make appropriate

opening remarks that will convince the respondent that his or her cooperation is important

Assurance that the information provided will remain anonymous and confidential will potentially increase participation

Who Conducts The Fieldwork? (cont’d)Who Conducts The Fieldwork? (cont’d)Who Conducts The Fieldwork? (cont’d)Who Conducts The Fieldwork? (cont’d)


• Asking the QuestionsAsking the Questions1. Ask the questions exactly as they are worded

in the questionnaire

2. Read each question slowly

3. Ask the questions in the order in which they are presented in the questionnaire

4. Ask every question specified in the questionnaire

5. Repeat questions that are misunderstood or misinterpreted



• ProbingProbingThe verbal prompts made by a fieldworker when the

respondent must be motivated to communicate his or her answer or to enlarge on, clarify, or explain an answer

Probing tactics: Repeating the question Using a silent probe Repeating the respondent’s reply Asking a neutral question



• Recording the ResponsesRecording the ResponsesEach fieldworker should use the same mechanics of

recordingThe rules for recording responses to fixed-alternative

questions vary with the specific questionnaireThe general instruction for recording open-ended

questions is to record the response verbatim



• Terminating the InterviewTerminating the InterviewFieldworkers should not close the interview before

they have secured all pertinent informationAvoiding hasty departures is a matter of courtesy

and it allows recording the spontaneous comments respondents offer after all formal questions have been asked

The fieldworker should answer any respondent questions concerning the nature and purpose of the study to the best of his or her ability

It is extremely important to thank the respondent for his or her time and cooperation



Management and Supervision of the FieldworkManagement and Supervision of the FieldworkManagement and Supervision of the FieldworkManagement and Supervision of the Fieldwork

• Project Briefing SessionProject Briefing SessionA briefing session should cover the background of

the sponsoring organization, sampling techniques, asking of questions, callback procedures, and other matters specific to the particular project

• Role of Fieldwork SupervisionRole of Fieldwork SupervisionDirect supervision of fieldwork is necessary to

ensure that the techniques communicated in the training sessions are implemented in the field


Management and Supervision of the Fieldwork Management and Supervision of the Fieldwork (cont’d)(cont’d)Management and Supervision of the Fieldwork Management and Supervision of the Fieldwork (cont’d)(cont’d)

• Sampling VerificationSampling VerificationAn important part of supervision is to verify that data

collection is conducted according to the sampling plan

Careful recording of the number of completed surveys will help ensure that the sampling procedure is being properly conducted

Supervision can also identify whether the right people within the household or sampling unit are being contacted


Management and Supervision of the Fieldwork Management and Supervision of the Fieldwork (cont’d)(cont’d)Management and Supervision of the Fieldwork Management and Supervision of the Fieldwork (cont’d)(cont’d)

• Interviewer CheatingInterviewer CheatingThe practice by fieldworkers of filling in fake answers

or falsifying interviews

• Verification by Re-interviewingVerification by Re-interviewingVerification

Quality-control procedures in fieldwork intended to ensure that interviewers are following the sampling procedures and to determine whether interviewers are cheating


EditingEditingEditingEditing

• EditingEditingThe process of checking the completeness,

consistency, and legibility of data and making the data ready for coding and transfer to storage

• CodingCodingThe process of assigning a numerical score or other

character symbol to previously edited data


Editing (cont’d)Editing (cont’d)Editing (cont’d)Editing (cont’d)

• Field EditingField EditingPreliminary editing by a field supervisor on the same

day as the interview to catch technical omissions, check legibility of handwriting, and clarify responses that are logically or conceptually inconsistent

• In-house editingIn-house editingA rigorous editing job performed by a centralized

office staff



• Editing for ConsistencyEditing for ConsistencyThe in-house editor’s task is to adjust inconsistent or

contradictory responses so that the answers will not be a problem for coders and keyboard operators

• Editing for CompletenessEditing for CompletenessItem nonresponse

The technical term for an unanswered question on an otherwise complete questionnaire

Plug value An answer that an editor “plugs in” to replace blanks or

missing values so as to permit data analysis; choice of value is based on a predetermined decision rule



• Editing Questions Answered Out of OrderEditing Questions Answered Out of OrderAnother task an editor may face is rearranging the

answers given to open-ended questions

• Facilitating the Coding ProcessFacilitating the Coding ProcessSeveral editing procedures are designed specifically

to simplify the coding processFor example, the editor checks to make sure every

circled response is clearly definable; a response that overlaps two numbers and could be either 3 or 4 must be judged



• Editing and Tabulating “Don’t Know” AnswersEditing and Tabulating “Don’t Know” AnswersThe legitimate “don’t know” means the same as “no

opinionThe reluctant “don’t know” is given when the

respondent simply does not want to answer the question and wishes to stop the interviewer from asking more



• Mechanics of EditingMechanics of EditingWhen space on the questionnaire permits, the

original data usually are left in to permit a subsequent editor to identify the original concepts

• Pitfalls of EditingPitfalls of EditingTo do a proper editing job, the editor must be

intelligent, experienced, and objective

• Pre-testing EditPre-testing EditEditing questionnaires during the pre-test stage can

prove very valuable


CodingCodingCodingCoding

• CodesCodesRules for interpreting, classifying, and recording data

in the coding process; also, the actual numerical or other character symbols assigned to raw data

• The Data MatrixThe Data MatrixA rectangular arrangement of data in rows and

columnsDirect data entry

The use of an online computer terminal as an input device for data storage


Coding (cont’d)Coding (cont’d)Coding (cont’d)Coding (cont’d)

• Code ConstructionCode ConstructionThe coding categories should be exhaustive; coding

categories should be provided for all subjects, objects, or responses

The coding categories should be mutually exclusive and independent; there should be no overlap among the categories, to ensure that a subject or response can be placed in only one category



• Pre-coding Fixed-Alternative QuestionsPre-coding Fixed-Alternative QuestionsPre-coding can be used if the researcher knows

what the answer categories will be before data collection occurs

• Coding Open-Ended QuestionsCoding Open-Ended QuestionsThe purpose of coding open-ended questions is to

reduce the large number of individual responses to a few general categories of answers that can be assigned numerical codes



• Devising the Coding SchemeDevising the Coding SchemeA coding scheme should not be too elaborateThe coder’s task is only to summarize the data

• Code BookCode BookA book that identifies each variable in a study and

gives the variable’s description, code name, and position in the data matrix

• Editing and Coding CombinedEditing and Coding CombinedFrequently the person coding the questionnaire

performs certain editing functions



• Computerized Data ProcessingComputerized Data ProcessingData entry

The activity of transferring data from a research project to computers

Optical scanning system A data processing input device that reads material directly

from mark sensed questionnaires


RecodingRecodingRecodingRecoding

• RecodeRecodeTo use a computer to convert original codes used for

raw data into codes that are more suitable for analysis

• Error CheckingError CheckingThe final stage in the coding process is error

checking and verification, or data cleaning, to ensure that all codes are legitimate


Documents

Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited DATA COLLECTION AND PREPARATION FOR DATA ANALYSIS Chapter 16 Part 4 Sampling and Data