Data Collection Procedures - Essay Example

Data collection procedures Data collection procedures are a set of the fundamental elements of a research methodology. It is applied in implementing a methodology and defines the process of engaging research participants and implementing data collection instruments to extract data. I, in this paper, describe the suggested data collection instruments, interviews and questionnaires, for my proposed research on effects of drug abuse on domestic violence. InterviewsInterviews define application of verbal prompts to generate oral responses from participants and can either be achieved in person or over telephone communication.

My research will however apply face-to-face interview with telephone interviews as an alternative, in cases of geographical barriers. The instrument is suitable for the research because of its success in similar scopes such as is application by Mignone, Klostermann and Chen (2009). The data collection technique defines an interviewer, and an interviewee who may be the direct source of required data or may have acquired the information from other sources. I particularly intend to implement a semi-structured interview that will have predetermined questions but will be flexible enough to facilitate in depth exploration of involved subjects (Kothari, 2009; Gill, Stewart, Treasure and Chadwick, 2008).

Application of the technique also identifies a number of advantages that has influenced its choice. It allows for generation of extensive data that are further in depth and therefore facilitates adequate exploration of a topic. The technique also allows the interviewer to overcome the challenge of a respondent’s negative attitude towards the research or a question. Consequently, it enhances response rate and promotes clarity because the interviewer has the opportunity to explain uncertain concepts and terms.

The technique also integrates easily with other approaches such as observation and therefore facilitates data collection. It can however be expensive, especially if respondents are sparsely distributed over a wide geographical region, and it is susceptible to researcher’s bias. It is also time consuming and requires interpersonal communication skills for developing rapport with respondents and lack of such skills may render it ineffective (Kothari, 2009). QuestionnairesThe research will also implement questionnaires.

The technique is similarly suitable for the research, having been applied by Mignone, Klostermann and Chen (2009) in a research with similar scope of data. Like the interviews, questionnaires consist of predetermined, though written, questions that are administered to research participants to facilitate data collection through responses that are communicated in the same document. My research will used mailed questionnaires because of the instrument’s features that identify its advantages. The instrument is for example cheap to develop and implement, especially when the sample is large and the participants are widely distributed.

It is also free from researcher’s bias because of absence of direct interaction between the researcher and participants. It similarly offers participants sufficient time to consolidate their potentials for accurate responses. The instrument however faces challenges such as low response rates, need for participants’ literacy, and researcher’s loss of control of the data collection process (Kothari, 2009). ConclusionThe research therefore plans to use interviews and questionnaires as data collection instruments.

The instruments are suitable for the scope of the research because they have been successful in collecting similar types of data and have many advantageous characteristics. ReferencesGill, P., Stewart, K., Treasure, E. and Chadwick, B. (2008). Methods of data collection in qualitative research: Interviews and focus groups. Retrieved from: http://www.academia.edu/746649/Methods_of_data_collection_in_qualitative_research_interviews_and_focus_groups.Kothari, C. (2009). Research methodology: Methods and techniques.

New Delhi: New Age International. Mignone, T., Klostermann, K. and Chen, R. (2009). The relationship between relapse to alcohol and relapse to violence. Journal of Family Violence (2009.24) 497-505.