| Data collection is a term used to describe a process of preparing and collecting data - for example as part of a process improvement or similar project. The purpose of data collection is to obtain information to keep on record, to make decisions about important issues, to pass information on to others. Primarily, data is collected to provide information regarding a specific topic. |
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| Data collection is essential for any organization. Data collections are process of preparing and collecting data for an improvement in organization process or to collect data to create new process. Data collection has been done in proper way while creating a process or redefining any process. There are several data collection techniques are using available information, Observing, Interviewing, written questionnaires and participative and projective methods. |
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| Data collection company will always do brief research to select techniques. Data collection company will also tries various data collection tools to do research data collection and do automated data collection or online data collection, but data collection company do this after data collection analysis. Data collection company do international market research data collection and gather information which are fundamental for many organizations. |
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| Data collection usually takes place early on in an improvement project, and is often formalised through a data collection plan which often contains the following activity. |
- Pre collection activity – Agree goals, target data, definitions, methods
- Collection – data collection
- Present Findings – usually involves some form of sorting analysis and/or presentation.
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| Prior to any data collection, pre-collection activity is one of the most crucial steps in the process. It is often discovered too late that the value of their interview information is discounted as a consequence of poor sampling of both questions and informants and poor elicitation techniques. After pre-collection activity is fully completed, data collection in the field, whether by interviewing or other methods, can be carried out in a structured, systematic and scientific way. |
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| We will go through benefits and possible limitation of each data collection techniques: |
- Using available information is an inexpensive technique and it allows doing analysis of past trends data. But in this data is not accurate and not easily accessible.
- By observing organization will get detailed information and this describes also facts which are not mentioned in any other methods. But major drawback for this is observer bias may affect in this kind of technique.
- Interviewing is a one of the important technique for research data collection. This technique is useful for all level of people either literate or illiterate. But in this interviewer is present because of that influence of interviewer affect a bit.
- Written questionnaires are less expensive compare to other techniques. It also collected data is more trustable because it’s not affected by influence and easily accessible but this technique is not useful for illiterate people.
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| A formal data collection process is necessary as it ensures that data gathered is both defined and accurate and that subsequent decisions based on arguments embodied in the findings are valid. The process provides both a baseline from which to measure from and in certain cases a target on what to improve. |
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| Types of data collection: |
- 1-By mail questionnaires
- 2-By personal interview.
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| Other main types of collection include census, sample survey, and administrative by-product and each with their respective advantages and disadvantages. A census refers to data collection about everyone or everything in a group or population and has advantages, such as accuracy and detail and disadvantages, such as cost and time. A sample survey is a data collection method that includes only part of the total population and has advantages, such as cost and time and disadvantages, such as accuracy and detail. Administrative by-product data is collected as a byproduct of an organization’s day-to-day operations and has advantages, such as accuracy, time simplicity and disadvantages, such as no flexibility and lack of control. |
Data Collection
