What are the modes of data collection? Explain the advantages
and disadvantages briefly.
Answers
Explanation:
Advantages: 1. The enumerator can personally explain to the respondent the objective of the enquiry and importance of study. 2. This will help in getting better co-operation of the respondent and in obtaining accurate answers to the questions in the questionnaire. 3. This will save time of the respondent and will keep him in good humour. Disadvantages: The method of expensive. It need a large team of enumerators and spend on their training and travel, besides other expenses on food, stationary, lodging etc., 2. Mailing questionnaire to respondents: Advantages: 1. The method of mailing questionnaire to respondents is far more convenient and less expensive. Disadvantages : The respondents may not understand or misinterpret some questions. The respondent may not take enough care to answer all questions correctly.
Explanation:
Data collection method is the process of gathering information from different sources to find answers to specific problems and questions.
Consider issues such as time of the respondents, required infrastructure, access to records, sensitive topics, respondent feelings, etc.
For example, if your research has to do with depth and complex topics, you need to consider an in-depth interview or focus group.
If the information you need requires standardized or quantifiable data then you need to think about observations or surveys.
For sensitive topics, self-administered interviews are generally preferred to face-to-face interviews as the first ones are seen as more private. Or, a face-to-face interview can include a self-administered module for this reason.