Data Collection Plan
Session 18: Data Collection Plan
Total Session Time: 120 minutes + 240 minutes assignment
Prerequisites
None
Learning Tasks
By the end of this session students are expected to be able to:
Describe problems that may arise during data collection and how they may be solved.
Prepare a plan for data collection for the developed research proposal
Determine the various tasks of the staff needed for research
Prepare a work schedule (GANTT chart)
Draw a work schedule (GANTT chart)
Resources Needed
Flip charts, marker pens, and masking tape
Black/white board and chalk/whiteboard markers
Computer and LCD Projector
Handout 18.1: Example of a GANTT
Handout 18.2: Example of a work schedule
SESSION OVERVIEW
Activity/
Step Time Content
Method
1 05 minutes Presentation Introduction, Learning Tasks
Presentation
2 15 minutes Typical Problems that May Arise During Data
Buzzing Collection and Solutions.
3 10 minutes Presentation Preparation of a Plan for Data Collection for the
Developed Research Proposal
Presentation
4 25 minutes Group Determination of Various Tasks of the Staff Needed for
discussion Research
5 Presentation Preparation of a Work Schedule (GANTT Chart)
25 minutes
6 Presentation Drawing a Work Schedule (GANTT Chart)
25 minutes
7 05 minutes Presentation Key Points
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8 05 minutes Presentation Evaluation
9 05 minutes Presentation Assignment
SESSION CONTENTS
STEP 1: Presentation of Session Title and Learning Tasks (5 minutes)
READ or ASK students to read the learning tasks and clarify
ASK students if they have any questions before continuing
STEP 2: Typical Problems that May Arise During Data Collection and
Solutions (15 minutes)
Activity: Buzzing (5 minutes)
ASK students to pair up and buzz on the following question for 2 minutes
ASK What problems may arise during data collection and their solutions
ALLOWS few students to respond
WRITE their responses on the flipchart or board
CLARIFY and SUMMARIZE by using the content below
Sources of data distortion (bias) that might include:
o Deviations from the sampling procedures set out in the proposal.
o Variability or bias in observations or measurements made because
Research assistants are placed under too much stress
Inadequate supervision of research assistants.
Questionnaire not filled in completely
o Training research assistant
o Pretest instrument
o Adequate supervision of data collection
o Revise method to check quality of data
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o Prior anticipation of problems that might occur and prepare plan to overcome them
STEP 3: Preparation of a Plan for Data Collection for the Developed
Research Proposal (10 minutes)
o Listing the tasks that have to be carried out, and who should be involved,
o Making a rough estimate of the time needed for the different parts of the study
o Identifying the most appropriate period in which to carry out the research.
o Scheduling the different activities that have to be carried out each week in a
work plan.
o Before the proposal development is finished, a pre-test of the data collection
and data
analysis procedures should be made.
o The advantages of conducting a pre-test before the proposal is that we can
draft the work plan and budget based on more realistic estimates, as well as
revise the data collection tools before we submit the proposal for approval.
o However, further pre-testing and planning of the research have to be done in
the field.
o Stage 1: Permission to proceed
o Stage 2: Data collection
o Stage 3: Data handling
o Consent must be obtained from the relevant authorities, individuals and the
community in which the project is to be carried out.
This may involve organizing meetings at national or provincial level, at
district and at village level.
o For clinical studies this may also involve obtaining written informed consent.
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o The principal investigator will be responsible for obtaining permission to
proceed at the various levels.
o The Health Research Unit in the Ministry of Health or the institution organizing
the
course may assist in obtaining permission from the national level.
o During data collection consider:
Logistics: who will collect what, when and with what resources
Quality control (data must be reliable and valid)
o When allocating tasks for data collection, it is recommended that first list type
of data
required.
o Identify who could best implement each of the tasks.
If it is clear earlier that your research team will not be able to carry out the
entire
study by itself
Plan to look for research assistants to assist in relatively simple but time-
consuming tasks.
Consider the following:
o Think about how long will it take to collect data for each component of the
Study?
The time required to reach the study area(s)
The time required locating the study units (persons, groups, records),
search for
specific informants (e.g., users or defaulters of a specific service)
It might take more time to locate informants than to interview them;
consider the number of visits required per study unit.
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o Calculate the number of interviews that can be carried out per person per day
o Calculate the number of days needed to carry out the interviews. For
example: You need to do 200 interviews
o Since the research team usually consists of very busy people, it is unlikely
that team
members can spend more than 30 working days on the entire study:
o 5 days for preparation (including pre-testing and finalizing questionnaires)
o 20 days actual field work
o 5 days data processing + preliminary analysis
the
demands of the project will determine the actual time needed for the data
collection
o Availability of research team members and research assistants
o The appropriate season(s) to conduct the field work (if the problem is season-
related
or if data collection would be difficult during certain periods)
o Accessibility and availability of the sampled population
o Public holidays and vacation periods
o Develop a clear procedure for handling and storing data
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o Number questionnaires and other research tools. Decide if this should be
done at the time of the interview or at the time the questionnaires are stored.
o Each tool used will get its own numbers starting from 1. If some data sets are
linked,
e.g., you interview leprosy patients as well as their relatives and neighbors to
analyze
their interaction and possible stigma from different perspectives, better link the
numbers.
o Identify the person responsible for storing data and the place where it will be
stored.
o Decide how data should be stored.
o Record forms should be kept in the sequence in which they have been
numbered. In what sequence should data be collected?
o Other issues to consider during data collection
In general, it is advisable to start with analysis of data that is already
available.
data to be drawn from different sources but in one locality should be
collected at the same time.
It is extremely important that the data collected are of good quality (reliable
and valid).
o Deviations from the sampling procedures set out in the proposal.
o Variability or bias in observations or measurements made because:
Subject changes his/her behavior
Use of unstandardized weighing scales or inaccurate or no guidelines for
interviewing.
Variation in researchers’ observations (observer variability) in what they
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observe or measure.
Variations in criteria for measurement or for categorizing answers;
changed them during the study.
o Prepare a field work manual for the research team as a whole, including:
o Guidelines on sampling procedures and what to do if respondents are not
available or to co-operate.
o A clear explanation of the purpose and procedures of the study which should
be used to introduce each interview
o Instruction sheets on how to ask certain questions and how to record
STEP 4: Determination of Various Tasks of the Staff Needed for Research
(25 minutes)
Activity: Small Group Discussion (5 minutes)
DIVIDE students into small manageable groups
ASK students to discuss on the following question
ALLOW few students to respond
WRITE their responses on flipchart or board
CLARIFY and SUMMARIZE by using the contents below
the following matrix.
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Task To be carried out by
Reviewing record (hospital + HCs) Research team, with research assistant
Focus group discussions with health staff
Research team
before and after individual staff interviews
Individual health staff interviews Research team
Shadowing RCH nurses Principal investigator
Interviews with mothers (community-based)
Research team, with research assistants
before and after delivery
STEP 5: Preparation of a Work Schedule (Gantt chart) (25 minutes)
o Review and revise, if necessary, the list of tasks you prepared for your plan for data
collection.
o Add to the list other tasks you must complete not related to data collection (such as
clearance of proposal; data analysis and report writing; and feedback to authorities
and target group).
o Number all tasks.
o Make revisions, if required
o Preparing a work schedule (Gantt chart)
o Step 1: Consider:
The time required to reach the study area(s);
The time required to locate the study units (persons, groups, records);
If you have to search for specific informants (e.g., users or defaulters of a specific
service) it might take more time to locate informants than to interview them.)
The number of visits required per study unit.
for example, follow-up of pregnant mothers or malnourished children
Time needed for follow-up of non-respondents should also be considered.
o Step 2: Calculate the number of interviews that can be carried out per person per day
o Step 3: Calculate the number of days needed to carry out the interviews.
For example:
you need to do 200 interviews
your research team of 5 people each can do 4 interviews per day
you will need how many days for the interviews
o Step 4: Calculate the time needed for the other parts of the study, (for example, 10
days)
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o Step 5: Determine how much time you can devote to the study. It is unlikely that team
members can spend more than 30 working days on the entire study
5 days for preparation (including pre-testing and finalizing questionnaires)
20 days actual field work
5 days data processing and preliminary analysis
Refer students to Handout 18. 1: Example of a GANTT
STEP 6: Drawing a Work Schedule (Gantt chart) (25 minutes)
relate to each other in terms of time. It's a way of displaying project schedule, and it helps
get the work done on time.
take, the time frames in which individual tasks are to be completed, and the relationship
between various tasks.
to be completed that should have been done already.
o Who is responsible for the task
o The time each task is expected to take
o The length of each task is shown by a bar that extends over the number of days, weeks
or months the task is expected to take
Refer students to Handout 18.2: Example of a Work Schedule
STEP 7: Key Points (5 minutes)
tasks must be completed and the duration of each activity
you may identify who could best implement each of the tasks
STEP 8: Evaluation (5 minutes)
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STEP 9: Assignment (5 minutes)
Activity: Take Home Assignment (5 minutes)
DIVIDE students in groups or individuals
ASK the students to work on the following Assignment
ALLOCATE time for students to do the assignments and submit
REFER students to recommended reference
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References
Hardon A, Boonmongkon P, and Streefland P. et al (2001). Applied Health research,
Anthropology of health and health care, (3rd Ed) Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Het
Spinhuis Publishers
Beaglehole R, Bonita R and Kjellstrom (1993) Basic epidemiology: Geneva, Switzerland:
World Health Organization,
Kothari C.R (1985). Research Methodology – Methods and techniques, (2nd ed); New Delhi,
India; Wiley Eastern Limited
Stewart A (2001). Basic Statistics and epidemiology, A practical guide,; London, United
Kingdom: Radcliffe Medical Press,
Varkevisser, C. M, Pathmanathan, I and Brownlee, A (1991). Designing and Conducting
Health Systems Research Projects, Vol. 2 Part I: Ottawa, Canada: IDRC
Polit, D. F and Beck, C. T (2004). Nursing Research – Principles and Methods, (7th Ed):
Philadelphi, USA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins,
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Handout 18.1: Example of a GANTT
Corlien, Pathmanathan, & Brownlee. (2003).
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Handout 18.2: Example of a Work Schedule
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Corlien, Pathmanathan, & Brownlee. (2003).
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