1. Qualitative Data Collection Instruments
Research Rescue Lab
Dr. Kelley Wood

2. A Holistic View of the Research Paper
Topic of Inquiry
Literature Survey
Research Questions
Abstract
Introduction
Literature Review
Research Methods
Results / Findings
Discussion
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

3. Data Collection Instruments
Literature Review
This chapter builds the argument, through logic, that is the basis of the study
The result of this is the Theoretical Framework ,or Theoretical Construct, or Conceptual Map
Research Methods
Determine the strategy for collecting data
Develop the Data Collection Instrument
Derived from the Quantitative Theoretical Framework, or the Qualitative Theoretical Construct, Conceptual Framework, or Literature Map
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

4. A Holistic View of the Research Paper
Literature Review
Sections of the chapter
Preamble
A brief argument, moving from general to specific, that prepares the reader for engaging in the topic areas you have determined must be covered to support the Theoretical Framework or Theoretical Construct
Sections and subsections as necessary to the argument
Case studies should include the subject of the case
Review of other research methods
Used in investigating similar topics
Theoretical Framework or Theoretical Construct
Describe and define the elements as they will be used in your study
Including a figure or model as a visual representation
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

5. Data Collection Instruments
Research Methods
Preamble
Setting
Population/ Data Source
Your potential participants
Research Strategy/ Measurements
Intervention Protocol
Data Collection Instrument Protocol
Observation, Interview, Questionnaire, Survey
Secondary data, content or document analysis - How data sources will be selected
Data Analysis Strategy
Summary
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

6. Data Collection Instruments
Theory
Variable or Factor
Concept
Becomes the…
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

7. Data Collection Instruments
Factor
Question
Becomes the…
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

8. Data Collection Instruments
Theory
Variable or Factor
Concept
Data Collection Instrument
Factor
Question
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

9. Data Collection Instruments
Purpose of data collection instrument
To test the hypotheses
Clarify relationships between variables (concepts)
To test propositions
To discover more about the phenomena of interest
Which is really to say we are testing the theoretical framework, construct, or model
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

10. Data Collection Instruments
Interviews, Questionnaires, and Surveys
Schensul, Schensul, & LeCompte (2009, chapters 6, 7, & 8)
Ethnography
Process is predicated on the understanding that nothing is really known of a new culture to be studied
Uses scientific methodology to develop a greater understanding
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

11. Data Collection Instruments
Ethnography
Process is predicated on the understanding that nothing is really known of a new culture to be studied
Moves from
Open-ended Observation
Open-ended Interviews
Semi-structured Interviews
Structured (directed) Surveys
Follows the Mixed Methods pattern
Qualitative to Quantitative
Development of theory
Testing of theory
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

12. Data Collection Instruments
Ethnography
Process is predicated on the understanding that nothing is really known of a new culture to be studied
Follows the sequential mixed methods pattern
Qualitative
Development and testing of propositions
Propositions = local or low level theories
Testing
Development of theory
Quantitative
Development of hypotheses
Testing of hypothesis
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

13. Data Collection Instruments
Developing the instrument
Follow the continuum of abstraction
Observation
Description of domains, macro-structural features, cultural continuities
Interviews
Description of factors, sub-factors, identification of cultural variation
Questionnaire
Refined description of factors, sub-factors, identification of cultural variation
Survey
Identification of variables, testing of associations and predictive models
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

14. Data Collection Instruments
Constructing the instrument
Variable (concept) development
Domain to Factors to Variables (concepts)
Example
Domain - Work
Factor - Satisfaction with job
Variables (concepts)
Compensation, autonomy, motivation, relationships – coworkers and supervisors or management
Position, advancement, relevance, decision making power, support
Schensul, Schensul, & LeCompte (2009, pp )
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

15. Data Collection Instruments
Interviews
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

16. Developing the Interview
Open-ended interviews
Schensul, Schensul, & LeCompte (1999, chapter 6)
Purpose of the open-ended interview
Explore undefined domains
Identify new domains
Break known domains into factors and subfactors
Obtain contextual and historical information to orient the research
Build understanding and positive relationships with the study population
To understand the individual lived experiences of participants
To understand participant’s meaning schemas
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

17. Developing the Interview
Think of the interview in the continuum of ethnographic methodology
Qualitative
Open-ended observation
Structured observation
Observe for specific constructs, interactions, behaviors
Open-ended interview
Open-ended questions
Semi-structured questionnaire
Semi-directed questions
Quantitative
Survey
Closed-ended questions
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

18. Developing the Interview
And the continuum of the data developed
Qualitative
Open-ended observation
Determine initial constructs and domains
Structured observation
Refine domains and constructs
Open-ended interview
Deeper understanding of domains and constructs
Determine factors that comprise the domains and constructs
The factors are your Dependent and Independent Variables
Semi-structured questionnaire
Specific understanding of factors (variables)
Determine subfactors that comprise the factors
Quantitative
Survey
Measuring the subfactors
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

19. Developing the Interview
Interview questions relate to a factor
Do not go as deep as the variable (concept)
Develop data that relates to your research questions
Purpose of the questions
Open-ended questions
Inspire a narrative account of the participant’s experience
Inspire the participant to relate naturally
Not to meet an expectation
Applied to a limited population
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

20. Developing the Interview
Open-ended questions
Represent the factors in the domain
Inclusive of a factor or multiple factors
Do not lead the response or express bias
Prepare probing and clarifying questions
Neutral agreement
Repeat what is said as a question
Ask for more information
Ask for their opinion
Ask for clarification of discrepancies
Ask for clarification of terms and acronyms
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

21. Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies
Exercise 1
In the handout
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

22. Data Collection Instruments
Questionnaires
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

23. Developing the Questionnaire
Open-ended and semi-structured interviews
Schensul, Schensul, & LeCompte (1999, chapter 7)
Purpose of the semi-structured interview
Clarify central domains and factors
Operationalize factors into variables (concepts)
Develop a preliminary hypothesis
Develop the qualitative base for a quantitative survey
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

24. Developing the Questionnaire
Think of the questionnaire in the continuum of ethnographic methodology
Qualitative
Open-ended observation
Structured observation
Observe for specific constructs, interactions, behaviors
Open-ended interview
Open-ended questions
Semi-structured questionnaire
Semi-directed questions
Quantitative
Survey
Closed-ended questions
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

25. Developing the Questionnaire
And the continuum of the data developed
Qualitative
Open-ended observation
Determine initial constructs and domains
Structured observation
Refine domains and constructs
Open-ended interview
Deeper understanding of domains and constructs
Determine factors that comprise the domains and constructs
The factors are your Dependent and Independent Variables
Semi-structured questionnaire
Specific understanding of factors (variables)
Determine subfactors that comprise the factors
Quantitative
Survey
Measuring the subfactors
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

26. Developing the Questionnaire
Questions link back directly to a variable (concept)
Develop data that relates to your research questions
Purpose of the questions
Semi-structured questions
Semi-directed
Provide focus
Not leading
Question does not contain the expected answer
Not closed
Applied to a larger population with a limited interpretation
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

27. Developing the Questionnaire
Developing semi-structured questions
Use terms and phrases that the participant
Will understand
Are appropriate to their context
Keep the length minimal
Avoid leading questions
Avoid ‘two for one’ questions
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

28. Developing the Questionnaire
Developing semi-structured questions
Avoid negatively phrased questions
Avoid rank ordering
Save for the survey
Avoid questions that require directions or tasks to complete
Avoid yes or no questions
Be sensitive to cultural context or social meanings in the questions
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

29. Developing the Questionnaire
Developing semi-structured questions
Ordering the semi-structured questions
Temporally – use an arc of time
Earliest to latest
Complexity – use an arc of complexity
Least to most complex
Group by topic or domain
Topically similar questions together
Abstraction – use an arc of abstraction
Most concrete to most abstract
Threat level
Least sensitive to most threatening
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

30. Using both Open-ended and Semi-Structured Questions
Lead with open-ended questions
Opens the participant up
Refreshes their sense of the experience
Transition
Briefly review what you have heard to clarify
Allow them to correct or modify
Discuss purpose of the next section without giving too many specifics
The next section may ask the participant to repeat or clarify
Move to semi-structured questions
Closing comments from participant
Ask them if there is anything that they wished you asked
Or that occurred to them that they would like to share
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

31. Data Collection Instruments
Research article showing a coding key
Jehn, K. A. (1997) A qualitative analysis of conflict types and dimensions in organizational groups. Administrative Quarterly 42(3) retrieved from ProQuest Social Sciences Journals
While you are developing your instruments
Interview, Questionnaire, or Survey
Develop a coding key
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

32. Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies
Exercise 2
In the handout
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

33. Data Collection Instruments
Surveys
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

34. Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies
Developing the Survey
Structured (directed) Surveys
Schensul, Schensul, & LeCompte (1999, chapter 8)
Purpose of the directed question survey
Clarify relationships between factors and variables (concepts)
Operationalize factors into variables (concepts)
Test hypotheses
Develop detailed , granular understanding of factors
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

35. Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies
Developing the Survey
Think of the questionnaire in the continuum of ethnographic methodology
Qualitative
Open-ended observation
Structured observation
Observe for specific constructs, interactions, behaviors
Open-ended interview
Open-ended questions
Semi-structured questionnaire
Semi-directed questions
Quantitative
Survey
Closed-ended questions
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

36. Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies
Developing the Survey
And the continuum of the data developed
Qualitative
Open-ended observation
Determine initial constructs and domains
Structured observation
Refine domains and constructs
Open-ended interview
Deeper understanding of domains and constructs
Determine factors that comprise the domains and constructs
The factors are your Dependent and Independent Variables
Semi-structured questionnaire
Specific understanding of factors (variables)
Determine subfactors that comprise the factors
Quantitative
Survey
Measuring the subfactors
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

37. Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies
Developing the Survey
Questions link back directly to a variable (concept)
Develop data that relates to your research questions
Purpose of the questions
Directed questions
Provide measurement of behaviors at specific points in time
Detailed examination of relationships between dependent and independent domains (variables)
Not leading
Question does not contain the expected answer
Closed response
Larger random and generalizable population
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

38. Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies
Developing the Survey
Constructing the instrument
Considerations
Exhaustive – no surprise responses
Mutually exclusive – response fits only one option
Avoid two or more nouns or verbs – you want to have no confusion of subject or action
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

39. Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies
Developing the Survey
Constructing the instrument
Variables (concepts) to questions
Question or statement format
Avoid open-ended questions
Each items is stated clearly
Mutually exclusive
Avoid more than one noun or verb
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

40. Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies
Developing the Survey
Constructing the instrument
Variables (concepts) to questions
Can respondents answer the question
Are questions relevant to the topic
Questions are as short as possible
Avoid alternating positive and negative questions in the same scale
Avoid items and terms that have hidden or unclear meanings
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

41. Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies
Developing the Survey
Constructing the instrument
Level of Measurement
Nominal – number is assigned to represent something as numbers are easier in statistical programs
Vary by quality but not quantity
Country, gender, etcetera
Ordinal – values convey order or rank only
Ordered by ranking, not absolute
May chose only one answer
Interval – values have no true zero and are equidistant
Distance between ranked intervals, no zero start point
100 to 120 = 90 to 110 (interval of 20)
Ratio – has a true zero and values are equidistant
Based on a zero input
Age, income, numbers of a variable (units)
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

42. Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies
Developing the Survey
Constructing the instrument
Types of questions
Fill in – correct answer
Multiple choice – choose correct answer from options
Scaled – such as Likert, continuous (on a continuum with decimals), or discrete (whole numbers or units not on a continuum)
Semantic Differential
Choose from opposites
Ranking
Order (<=) 10 items against each other
Rating
Rate(<=) 10 items from 1 to 10
Category
Often a yes/no choice of distinct options
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

43. Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies
Developing the Survey
Scales – an aside
Scales can easily convey bias or preferred response
Choosing a scale of measurement
When using Median or Mean
Order – does a larger number indicate a greater value than a smaller number
Ordinal, interval, ratio
Differences – does subtracting two numbers indicate a meaningful value
Interval, ratio
Ratio – Does dividing two numbers indicate a meaningful value
Ratio
Use the same pattern for consistency – parallelism
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

44. Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies
Developing the Survey
Scales – an aside
Likert is not the only game in town
The point of Likert is to cause data to be easier to summarize around a central tendency
Median, Mode, Mean
Using a 5 point scale should encourage the response to be either positive or negative, unless it is central
Often encourages the selection of the central value
Some use a 6 point Likert
Middle two values are the central tendency
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

45. Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies
Developing the Survey
Scales – an aside
When is Central Tendency important, or when to use Likert?
Ordinal
One sample sign test, Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon sign-ranks T test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Friedman test
Interval/Ratio
One-independent sample t-test, Two-independent sample t-test, Related samples t-test, One-way between-subjects ANOVA, One-way within-subjects ANOVA, Two-way between-subjects ANOVA
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies

46. Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies
Exercise 3
In the handout
Dr. Kelley D. Wood, Business & Graduate Studies