There are basically two categories data collected and used in research. These, according to Gupte (1979) are: - Primary data and Secondary data. Let us touch on them briefly.
Primary data
These are information, facts or statistical materials which you as a researcher originate for the purpose of the inquiry on hand. This is sometimes popularly called the “First hand information” or “information from the horses mouth”. They are referred to as eye witness account of an event or phenomenon.Such information is extracted from the actual participants themselves. It may be through oral interviews or discussions or through written diaries, minutes, proceedings, pictures, objects etc.
For instance, supposing you want to conduct an inquiry on the cost of living of people in two different societies. You will see that all the facts pertaining to this inquiry may be collected directly from the members of the societies themselves. Such information or data collected would be called Primary data.
These refer to information, facts or statistical materials which are not originated by you as the researcher or investigator. These are materials from someone elses records or other documents
like books, journals, newspaper reports and other research works that may be got from the
libraries. In the simplest form, secondary data are not first hand information.
For instance, supposing you want to conduct an inquiry on the cost of living of people in two different societies. You will see that all the facts pertaining to this inquiry may be collected directly from the members of the societies themselves. Such information or data collected would be called Primary data.
Secondary data
These refer to information, facts or statistical materials which are not originated by you as the researcher or investigator. These are materials from someone elses records or other documents
like books, journals, newspaper reports and other research works that may be got from the
libraries. In the simplest form, secondary data are not first hand information.
They are reported information if you refer to the inquiry and comparism of the cost of living in the two different societies above, you will notice that instead of going to the people themselves to obtain
information as in primary data, you may depend on research reports from journals, newspapers
and magazines: you may also resort to obtaining other records showing the peoples expenditure
on living. These data are called Secondary data
QUESTIONNAIRE METHOD OF COLLECTING DATA
Let us start this section by letting you know that any time you want to collect data. You will need to consider some factors before you choose the suitable method. These factors include:
a) Purpose, problem and hypothesis of the study
b) Time required for the study
c) The accuracy desired of the study
d) Funds available for the study
e) Other facilities available and
f) The nature of the person conducting the research in terms of the level of training.
Most researchers, who conduct survey researches, make use of the questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. The questionnaire is generally a form containing some questions which the respondents fill out without any help or comment from the researcher. It enables data to be collected from large samples. However, if you decide to use it, you must make sure it is very carefully constructed. This is because data collected from the questionnaire depend solely on the respondent perception of the questions and their goodwill to take time to complete it.
A questionnaire is used when factual information is desired (Best and Khan 1995). When opinions rather than facts are desired; an opinionates or attitude scale is used. According to Okpata, Onuoha and Oyedeji (1993) a questionnaire is a self reporting instrument that has received a good use in educational, researches, psychological and social science researches, programme evaluation etc. it is described as the most common type of research instrument. It is therefore very important that you as a researcher, master how to construct a questionnaire. This will enable you develop an appropriate instrument, especially when you cannot lay hand on already existing instrument that are valid and reliable. Like the test, questionnaires are constructed for specific purposes. It is necessary for you to think of a specific study and design before determining whether it is appropriate for you to use a questionnaire.
In constructing a questionnaire, you should make every effort to ensure that the terms or questions are structured in good forms. In other words each question must be easily understood by the respondents and must elicit the specific information needed to test the hypotheses. It means that every item must be checked for clarity and relevance, as well as for effectiveness in eliciting the accurate or needed information from the subjects. This is because to ask a respondent a question which is not relevant to the research hypotheses and design amounts to a waste of time. It means that you have to pre-test the instrument. This is because nothing can be more frustrating than a situation of finding out that after all the data you have collected; you discover that you should have asked an additional or more specific question to generate the needed data.
information as in primary data, you may depend on research reports from journals, newspapers
and magazines: you may also resort to obtaining other records showing the peoples expenditure
on living. These data are called Secondary data
SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE I
- What are the two types of data in research?
- Explain the two sources of data in research?
QUESTIONNAIRE METHOD OF COLLECTING DATA
Let us start this section by letting you know that any time you want to collect data. You will need to consider some factors before you choose the suitable method. These factors include:
a) Purpose, problem and hypothesis of the study
b) Time required for the study
c) The accuracy desired of the study
d) Funds available for the study
e) Other facilities available and
f) The nature of the person conducting the research in terms of the level of training.
Most researchers, who conduct survey researches, make use of the questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. The questionnaire is generally a form containing some questions which the respondents fill out without any help or comment from the researcher. It enables data to be collected from large samples. However, if you decide to use it, you must make sure it is very carefully constructed. This is because data collected from the questionnaire depend solely on the respondent perception of the questions and their goodwill to take time to complete it.
A questionnaire is used when factual information is desired (Best and Khan 1995). When opinions rather than facts are desired; an opinionates or attitude scale is used. According to Okpata, Onuoha and Oyedeji (1993) a questionnaire is a self reporting instrument that has received a good use in educational, researches, psychological and social science researches, programme evaluation etc. it is described as the most common type of research instrument. It is therefore very important that you as a researcher, master how to construct a questionnaire. This will enable you develop an appropriate instrument, especially when you cannot lay hand on already existing instrument that are valid and reliable. Like the test, questionnaires are constructed for specific purposes. It is necessary for you to think of a specific study and design before determining whether it is appropriate for you to use a questionnaire.
In constructing a questionnaire, you should make every effort to ensure that the terms or questions are structured in good forms. In other words each question must be easily understood by the respondents and must elicit the specific information needed to test the hypotheses. It means that every item must be checked for clarity and relevance, as well as for effectiveness in eliciting the accurate or needed information from the subjects. This is because to ask a respondent a question which is not relevant to the research hypotheses and design amounts to a waste of time. It means that you have to pre-test the instrument. This is because nothing can be more frustrating than a situation of finding out that after all the data you have collected; you discover that you should have asked an additional or more specific question to generate the needed data.
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