Module 10: Data Collection Methods

Tool 2: Records and Secondary Data

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• Examples of sources:
• files/records
• computer data bases
• industry or government reports
• other reports or prior evaluations
• census data and household survey data
• electronic mailing lists and discussion groups
• documents (budgets, organizational charts, policies and procedures, maps, monitoring reports)
• newspapers and television reports

Using Existing Data Sets

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• Key issues: validity, reliability, accuracy, response rates, data dictionaries, and missing data rates

Advantage/Challenge: Available Data

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Advantages	Often less expensive and faster than collecting the original data again
Challenges	There may be coding errors or other problems. Data may not be exactly what is needed. You may have difficulty getting access. You have to verify validity and reliability of data

Tool 3: Observation

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• See what is happening
• traffic patterns
• land use patterns
• layout of city and rural areas
• quality of housing
• condition of roads
• conditions of buildings
• who goes to a health clinic

Observation is Helpful when:

• need direct information
• trying to understand ongoing behavior
• there is physical evidence, products, or outputs than can be observed
• need to provide alternative when other data collection is infeasible or inappropriate

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