Data Collection
and Analysis
Tools
Definition
• Data- refers to groups of information that represent
the qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables
Definition
• Data Collection and Analysis
- Data are collected, created, and kept for the purpose of analysis
- Without analysis, it’s just a bunch of bits
Qualitative Research
explores attitudes, behaviour and experiences
Examples:
•Case Studies
•Interviews
•Surveys
•Content Analysis
•FGDs
Quantitative Research
• Information that can be expressed in numerical terms, counted, or compared on a scale
• can be analysed using statistical methods, and results can be displayed using tables, charts, histograms and graphs
• Experiments• Questionnaires
• Surveys• Content Analysis
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS TOOLS
Data Collection Tools
• Online Surveys/Questionnaire Tools
• http://www.surveymonkey.com
• http://www.surveygizmo.com
• http://www.zoomerang.com
• Google Docs
Data Collection Tools
• Swivel
Swivel is a website where people share reports of charts and numbers.
http://www.swivel.com/http://www.gapminder.org/for-teachers/http://manyeyes.alphaworks.ibm.com/manyeyes
Data Collection Tools
• Google Trends
- shows how often a particular search-term is entered relative to the total search-volume across various regions of the world, and in various languages.
Data Collection and Analysis Tools• ExcelUse graphs to demonstrate comparisonsProgress tracking charts are easy, visual
and can be colorful and eye-catchingDescriptive, time-sequence, process,
cause-effect, and other patterns can be seen using Excel features.
Tools
• Excel
Descriptive Statistics- mean, median, mode, standard deviation, standard error, confidence interval
Graphing data- scatter graphs, bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts
Excel
Association statistics
- Pearson coefficient, Spearman coefficient linear regression
Comparative statistics- paired and unpaired t-test, Mann-Whitney U-
test, ANOVA
Frequency statistics-χ2-test
χ2-test of association
Tools• Winstat
- WinSTAT is the statistics Add-In for Microsoft Excel
http://www.winstat.com/english/download/download.htm
• http://statpages.org
• http://www.mathtools.net/Excel/Statistics/index.html
• http://www.xlstat.com/
Tools
• Open Stat
- a free software package for performing statistical analyses. It is relatively simple to use and you can paste in data from Microsoft Excel. It supports a variety of simple to complex analysis procedures (Frequencies, T-Test, ANOVA, Multiple Regression, Factor Analysis, etc).
Tools
• http://www.chartle.net/
• http://www.lovelycharts.com/
• http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx
Others
• www.scirus.com• Google Scholar – A search engine for
scholarly (research) papers.
• Research Methods Knowledge Base – A web-based textbook that introduces the user to many
aspects of social research methods: forming research questions, sampling, measurement, research design, data analysis, validity, reliability, ethics, etc.
• http://www.statsoft.com/textbook/
Data Collection Tools
• VistaMetrix– VistaMetrix provides an easy way to extract
useful numbers from graphical images, especially when the data used to produce an image is unavailable.
– This includes graphs, maps, or other images that might be scanned, downloaded from the Internet, or captured as digital photographs or video files.
Data Collection Tools
• What can you do with VistaMetrix?1) Extract values from continuous or discrete graphs. It
handles multiple data sets and graphs that have been tilted due to scanning.
2) Measure distance and area on multiple, curved paths. Along these paths you can place annotated markers that show intermediate distances.
3) Measure angles and straight-line distances.
4) Record the color values at multiple points in the image.
• shdkahd
• Dhh
Data Analysis Tools
• MATLAB– Allows matrix manipulations, plotting
of functions and data, implementation of algorithms, creation of user interfaces, and interfacing with programs written in other languages, including C, C++, and Fortran.
– MATLAB language
Data Analysis Tools
• GNU Octave– A high-level language, primarily intended
for numerical computations. It provides a convenient command line interface for solving linear and nonlinear problems numerically, and for performing other numerical experiments
– Octave Language
Data Collection Tool
• ROOT
• PAW
• StatSoft
• Scilab
Data Collection Tool
• SPSS– a computer program used for statistical
analysis in social science. – It is used by market researchers, health
researchers, survey companies, government, education researchers, marketing organizations and others.
Data Collection Tool
• SPSS– Statistics included in the base software:
• Descriptive statistics: Cross tabulation, Frequencies, Descriptives, Explore, Descriptive Ratio Statistics
• Bivariate statistics: Means, t- test, ANOVA, Correlation (bivariate, partial, distances), Nonparametric tests
• Prediction for numerical outcomes: Linear regression• Prediction for identifying groups: Factor analysis, cluster
analysis
Advantages
• Capability for understanding dynamic developments in a program as it evolves
• Awareness of time and history• Availability of software for particular set of
data• Programs can cope with both multiple
codes and over-lapping codes which would be very difficult for the researcher to cope with without the aid of a computer.
Advantages
• Some software can conduct multiple searches in which more than one code is searched much more quickly and efficiently than by the researcher.
• Programs can pick out instances of pre-defined categories which have been missed by the researcher during the initial analysis.
• Computers can be used to help the researcher overcome ‘analysis block’.
Disadvantages
• Software can only support the intellectual processes of the researcher – they cannot be a substitute for these processes.
• The software might be beyond an individual’s budget.
• User-error can lead to undetected mistakes or misleading results.
• Using computers can lead to an over-emphasis on mechanical procedures
• Abundance of codes to memorize