Page 138 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

DATA CoLLECTion METhoDS n 105

same information is gathered from study asked and, often, the response options from
participants in a comparable, prespecified which respondents must choose. The instru-
way. Researchers collecting quantitative ment is an interview schedule when the data D
data typically spend a considerable amount are collected orally and a questionnaire when
of preparatory time selecting or developing the data are collected in writing. interviews
instruments and then pretesting them to can be conducted either in person, over the
ensure they are appropriate for study par- telephone, or through various electronic
ticipants and will yield high-quality data. means, such as by videoconferencing or an
Key issues of concern are whether the instru- internet link (e.g., Skype). Questionnaires can
ments are reliable (yield data that are accu- be mailed, distributed in clinical or other set-
rate measures of the concepts of interest) tings, or sent over the internet. interviews and
and valid (yield data that are truly capturing questionnaires often incorporate one or more
the focal concepts and not something else). formal scales to measure certain clinical data
Quantitative data are integrated and ana- (e.g., fatigue) or a psychological attribute (e.g.,
lyzed using statistical methods. self-efficacy, quality of life). A scale typically
Qualitative data are in narrative form, yields a composite measure of responses to
that is, in the form of words rather than multiple questions and is designed to assign
numbers. Researchers collecting qualita- a numeric score to respondents to place them
tive data tend to have a flexible, unstruc- on a continuum with respect to the attribute
tured approach. They often rely on ongoing being measured.
insights during data collection to guide the Self-report methods are also used by
course of further data collection rather than researchers who seek in-depth qualitative
having a formal instrument or even a fixed data. When self-report data are gathered in
upfront plan about the data to be gathered. an unstructured way, the researcher typ-
Qualitative data tend to be rich and complex ically does not have a specific set of ques-
and are more difficult to analyze than quanti- tions that must be asked in a specific order
tative data. Key issues of concern in collecting or worded in a given way. instead, the
qualitative data are that the data are credi- researcher starts with some general ques-
ble (generate confidence in their truth value), tions and allows respondents to tell their
dependable (stable and reliable), and authen- stories in a natural, conversational fash-
tic (communicate the mood, experience, lan- ion. Methods of collecting qualitative self-
guage, and context of the participants). report data include completely unstructured
Another important dimension of data interviews (conversational discussions on
collection methods concerns the basic mode. a topic), focused interviews (conversations
The modes of data collection most fre- guided by a broad topic guide), focus group
quently used by nurse researchers are self- interviews (discussions with small groups),
reports, observations, and biophysiological life histories (narrative, chronological self-
measures. disclosures about an aspect of the respon-
Self-reports involve the collection of data dent’s life experiences), and critical incidents
through direct questioning of people about (discussions about an event or behavior
their opinions, characteristics, and experi- that is critical to some outcome of interest).
ences. Self-reports can be gathered orally Although most unstructured self-reports
by having interviewers ask study partici- are gathered orally, a researcher can also ask
pants a series of questions or in writing by respondents to write a narrative response to
having participants complete a written task. broad open-ended questions or to maintain
Structured, quantitative self-report data are a written diary of their thoughts on a given
collected using a formal instrument that topic. Such data can be collected in person,
specifies exactly what questions are to be by mail, or by e-mail.