Data collection is an important procedure done during the research of a given field or a specific object. Recently, I decided to undertake some basic research on the rapid rise in the number of HIV infections among the people of the SOWETO slum in South Africa. I decided to use questionnaires and interviews as my methods of data collection. Before the main period of my data collection, I decided to do some reconnaissance on the area so that I could know the kind of people that I could use in the processes since it was a random one.
I decided to prepare closed-ended questionnaires since they could be easily administered to the people and required little effort to answer. I administered the questionnaires some individually to the people through emails and gave out some in groups .in the bit of real interview I decided to select a specific people who some I interview physically and some through the phone. Me after the field assessment of my research, I say it was slightly successful since, after my final evaluation, I realized that I had not considered important factors before using my methods to collect the data. I realized that most people we not literate and had little knowledge on my field of research, I also realized that the network connectivity if the area was poor hence the interviews I did through calls were poorly answered since the audio sound could not be heard.
The two methods that I used were questionnaires and interviews, which are good methods to use during data collection since they are convenient and comfortable. They work on all types of data collection, though there are some factors to consider before using these methods. These factors include studying the population of the area you are to collect data from and considering the cost of your study. With these factors under consideration, the methods that should be used in the collection are the best.
References
Shreffler, M.J. (1999). Culturally sensitive research methods of surveying rural/ frontier residents. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 21, 426-35. [MEDLINE]
Turner, T., & Gunn, I. (1991). Issues in rural health nursing. In A. Bushy (Ed.), Rural nursing (Vol. 2). Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Wilkes
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