Quantitative data collection Flashcards
Methods
- Physiological measurements
- Observations
- Interviews
- Questionnaires
- Secondary data: records, publication, research
Questionnaire + adv/dis
Instrument that involves a set of written questions to gain information
* Adv: cheap, anonymity, large number of people at distances
* Dis: literacy barrier, low response rate, self-selection bias, lack of clarity
Secondary data adv/dis
- Adv: data linkage (history through time)
- Dis: reliability and validity, extraction error, incomplete data
Design steps
- What informatio is needed
- Define population, sample size
- Budget and timeline
- Survey method (consider wording, length, open/closed questions, leading questions, use of likert)
- Pilot test (assess reliability and validity)
- Distribute and return
- Analyse and communicate
How to increase response rate
- Create publicity
- Oversample
- Promote value
- Create incentives
- Make easy
- Do follow ups
Observed scored =
OS: true variance + error variance
Error variance: randoms errors (behaviour changes or observer error) and systematic errors (instrument calibration, social desirability)
Instrument reliability
Consistency in producing the same result, assessed using correlation coefficient (usually >0.7)
Components
* Stability (same result on repetition): using test-retest (pearsons r)
* Homogeneity (all items measure same concept = internal consistency): using cronbachs alpha
* Equivalence (same result from different observers): using interrelater reliability (kappa coefficient)
Instrument validity
Accuracy of the measurement
Assessed using content validity index (expert rating 1-4) and factor analysis (extent to which the items measure the same construct)