1. Data Collection Instrument Design By Temtim Assefa http://ethio.wikispaces.com

2. Instruments Instruments are tools that are used to measure variables There are different types of instruments – Questionnaire – Structured interview – Observation checklists – Dairy – Archival documents – Photographs, etc The Selection of instrument depends on the type of variable

3. Questioners Most frequently used measurement instrument in organization studies It includes sets of questions to which the subject responds It is used to measure: – Attitude – Opinions – Demographic characteristics of the subjects

4. 1.Questionnaires Common design of questionnaires are checklists and rating scales Check list is a list of behaviors, characteristics or other entities that a researcher is investigating Either the researcher or participants simply check(s) items from the list What are features of user friendly software 1.Graphical interface 2.Clear navigation direction 3.Immediate feedback 4.Other specify ____________

5. Questionnaire … A rating scale is more useful when a behavior, attitude, or other phenomena of interest needs to be evaluated on a continuum scale It is designed with the following scales 1. “inadequate” to “excellent”, 2.“never” to “always” or 3.“strongly disapprove” to “strongly approve”

6. Example of Questionnaire People who visit the park by private car creates heavy traffic congestion around the park. The park manager arranges buses for visitors in the purpose of reducing the traffic. A study is made to assess the people’s reaction to the buses 1.Why did you decide to use the bus system (checklist) a)Thought it was required b)Environmental and aesthetic reasons c)To save time and or gas d)To avoid or lesson traffic e)Easier to park f)Other specify 2.In general, what is your opinion of public bus use in national parks as an effort to reduce traffic congestion and park problems? (rating scale) Strongly ApproveNeutralDisapprove Strongly Approvedisapprove

7. Guideline for Questionnaire 1.Keep it short What do I do with the information? Is it absolutely essential to have this information to solve part of the research problem 2.Use simple, clear, unambiguous language 3.Check for unwarranted assumptions implicit in your questions – How many cigarette do you smoke each day? Good to add a choice  25 ___ 25-16 ____ 15-5 ___ <5 ____ None ____ 4.Word your questions in ways that don’t give clues about preferred or more desirable responses What strategies have you used to try to quit smoking?  Leads him to list strategies he did not try

8. Guide line … Check consistency – that leads to give contradictory answer for two questions Determine in advance how you will code the response Keep the respondents task simple Provide clear instructions Make the questionnaire attractive and professional looking Conduct a pilot test – Give for half a dozen friends to see they have difficulty understanding any items Scrutinize the almost final product carefully to make sure it address your needs

9. Advantages of Questionnaire Easily to collect data from large number of people, including those who live thousands of miles away Can be administered by unskilled data collectors Presents a uniform stimulus to all subjects Can be collected online or through mail Researcher does not have contact with the respondents The anonymity of the respondents helps respondent to provide more truthful information than they would be in personal interviews, especially on sensitive and controversial issue

10. Draw back of questionnaire Majority of people may not return, if it is mailed the return rate is not more than 50% Returned responses may not be a true representative of the originally selected samples Cannot be used with illiterate or persons who cannot read Most questioners are inflexible, respondents answer by choosing only from the given lists

11. Interviews Interviews are meetings in which the interviewers directs questions at the interviewee and records the obtained responses It is direct face to face interactions Can be undertaken through telephone Help to captured more detailed information than questioners Allow to include the respondents views

12. Design of Interview Can be structured and unstructured Unstructured interview is designed with open ended questions The researchers asks and the responds reply to the questions The same questions may not be asked for different respondents Examples – Can you list down the benefit of the new software for your organization? – What are the main drawbacks of the new software? – What do you suggest to improve software to solve the current problems?

13. Structured interviews The researcher asks standard set of questions and nothing more In semi structured interview, the researcher may follow the standard questions with one or more individually tailored questions to get clarification or probe a persons reasoning In structured interview, you can have checklist of responses Example – What are the benefits of LAN in the organization a.Facilitates communications among employees b.Improves information access c.Improves relationship with customers d.Other specify – What kind of the support the management provides to the success of the Intranet system

14. Conducting Interview 1.Make sure that the interviewees are representative of the population 2.Find suitable location 3.Get written permission 4.Establish and maintain rapport 5.Focus on the actual rather than the abstract and hypothetical 6.Don’t put words in people’s mouths 7.Keep your reaction to your self 8.Good to use also Recording devices like Sony Voice recorder

15. Advantages of Interview Interview is formal and emotionally neutral Help to develop hypothesis at early stage of the research than testing hypothesis It has a distinct advantage of establishing rapport with potential participants and gain cooperation Has higher response rate Flexible to include additional views and opinions Has better validity, the researcher can further ask probing questions on some biased response

16. Disadvantage It is generally expensive than other data collection methods The researcher is the main interviewer otherwise training of interviewer is very expensive and time taking The interviewer presents the questions in different manners that lead to different responses – affects the validity and reliability of the data Characteristics of the respondents (age, sex, ethnicity, etc) may affect the value of measured variables Respondents may not free on some controversial issues

17. Obseravation Observation is a method of data gathering in which a qualified person watches, or walks through, the actual processing associated with a system – Best for studying processes, e.g. manufacturing – Useful for studying the work flow through an office for example – Could be active or passive

18. Observation Nonbehavioral observation – Record analysis: Analysis of historical or current records and public or private records. – Physical condition analysis Audits of merchandise availability, studies of plant safety compliance, etc. – Process or activity analysis Time/motion studies, financial flows in a banking system, paper flow in office systems, etc.

19. Observation Behavioral observation – Nonverbal analysis E.g., Monitoring eye movement in user-interface studies. – Linguistic analysis E.g., study of a sales presentation’s content or the study of what, how, and how much information is conveyed in a training situation. – Extralinguistic analysis E.g., study of the linguistic content of the interaction between supervisors and subordinates. – Spatial analysis E.g., a study of how salespeople physically approach customers.

20. Advantages of the Observational Method Collect the original data at the time it occurs Secure information that participants would ignore because it’s so common it is not seen as relevant Only method available to collect certain types of data

21. Advantages of the Observational Method (cont.) Capture the whole event as it occurs in its natural environment Subjects seem to accept an observational intrusion better than they respond to questioning

22. Limitations of the Observational Method Observer or recording equipment must be at the scene of the event when it takes place Slow process Expensive process Most reliable results are restricted to information that can be learned by overt action or surface indicators

23. Limitations of the Observational Method (cont.) Research environment is more likely suited to subjective assessment and recording of data than to quantification of events Limited as a way to learn about the past Cannot observe rationale for actions, only actions themselves

24. Relationship between Observer and Subject Direct or indirect observation Observer’s presence known or unknown to the subject Observer is involved or not involved with the respondent

25. Observation Methods: The Observer- Subject Relationship Direct observation – Observer is physically present to monitor Indirect observation – Observations are recorded (audio, video or other) Concealment – Observes use concealment to shield themselves from the object of their observation. Participant – Observer is involved in the activity being observed

26. The Type of Observational Study Simple Observation – Exploratory, found in most studies, goal of discovery. Systematic Observation – Employs standardized procedures, trained observers, schedules for recording, and other devices for the observer that mirror the scientific procedures for other primary data collection methods.

27. Guidelines for Selecting Observers Ability to concentrate in a setting full of distractions Ability to remember details of an experience Ability to be unobtrusive in the observational situation Ability to extract the most from an observational study

28. Conducting the Study: Observation Data Collection Who? – What qualifies a subject to be observed? What? – Event Sampling Observer records selected behavior that answers the investigative question – Time Sampling Observer may record data at fixed points in time for a specified length, at specified intervals, or continuously.

29. Observation Data Collection (cont’d) When? – Is the time of the study important, or can any time be used? How? – Will the data be directly observed? If there sis more than one observer, how will the task be divided? How will the results be recorded for later analysis? Where – Within spatial confine, where does the act take place?