HOW TO CHOOSE DATA

COLLECTION METHODS AND

TECHNIQUES
COLLECTING QUANTITATIVE
DATA

The process of collecting quantitative

data consists of more than simply collecting
data.
COLLECTING QUANTITATIVE
DATA
 You decide on what participants you will
study.
 You obtain their permission to be studied.
 You identify the types of measures that will
answer your research questions.
 You locate instruments to use.
 Then, you begin collecting data.
FIVE STEPS IN THE PROCESS OF
DATA COLLECTION
1. What participants will you study?

This involves determining whether you will

study individuals or entire organizations
(e.g. schools) or some combination.
Identify Your Unit of Analysis

Who can supply the information that you will

use to answer your quantitative research
questions or hypotheses.
Specify the Population and Sample

Select individuals or schools who are

representative of the entire group of
individuals or schools.
FIVE STEPS IN THE PROCESS OF
DATA COLLECTION

2. What permission will you need?

This permission will ensure that they will

cooperate with your study and provide data.
Permission may be required from:
 Institutions or Organization
Example: School District
 Specific Sites
Example: The Secondary School
Permission may be required from:
 Participants or Group of Participants

 Parents of Participants
Example: Tenth Graders’ Parents
Permission may be required from:
 Campus on which you conduct the
research.
Example: Permission from your University
or College Institutional Review
Board.
 Kinds of Permissions

1.Informed Consent
Is a statement that participants sign before
they participate in research.
It is important to protect the privacy
and confidentiality of individuals who
participate in the study.
 Kinds of Permissions
2.Review Board Approval
An Institutional Review Board is a
committee made up of faculty members who
review and approve research so that the
research protects the rights of the
participants.
 Process of Obtaining Approval from
Review Boards

1. Start by finding out about the review

process used by the Institutional Review
Board on your campus.
 Process of Obtaining Approval from
Review Boards

2. Determine what information the Review

Board needs about your project.

3. Develop an informed consent form for

participants to sign before the participate.
 Process of Obtaining Approval from
Review Boards
4. Submit a description of your proposed
study to the Institutional Review Boards this
description includes the purpose of the study,
the data collection process, the guarantees
for protecting the participants and the
sample consent form.
FIVE STEPS IN THE PROCESS OF
DATA COLLECTION
3. What information will you collect?

This step involves identifying the variables in

your questions and hypotheses, finding
definition for these variables, and considering
type of information that will help you assess
these variables.
Steps in collecting information:

1. Specify Variables from research questions

and hypotheses.
These includes Independent, Dependent and
Controlled Variables
Steps in collecting information:

2. Operationally Define each Variable

An Operational Definition is the
specification on how you will define and
measure the variable in your study.
Steps in collecting information:

3. Choose type of data and measure

Identify types of data that will measure your
variables.
Steps in collecting information:

4. Performance Measures
Collect performance measures to assess an
individual’s ability to perform on an
achievement test, intelligence test, aptitude
test, interest inventory, or personality
assessment inventory.
Steps in collecting information:

5. Attitudinal Measures
Researchers use Attitudinal Measures when
they measures feelings towards educational
topics ( Ex. Assessing positive or negative
attitude toward giving students a choice of
school to attend).
Steps in collecting information:

6. Behavioral Observation
- Are made by selecting an instrument ( or
using a behavioral protocol) on which to record
a behavior, observing individuals for that
behavior, and checking points on scale that
reflect the behavior ( behavioral checklist).
Steps in collecting information:

6. Factual Information
Personal Documents consist of numeric,
individual data, available in public records.
Steps in collecting information:

7. Web- Based Electronic Data Collection

The use of websites and internet for data
collection consist of administering surveys
( Solomon 2001), gathering interview data
( Persichitte,Yang,&Tharp,1997), or using existing
data basis for analysis.
FIVE STEPS IN THE PROCESS OF
DATA COLLECTION
4. What instrument will you use to collect the data?
 Locate or Develop an Instrument
Modifying an Instrument
means locating an existing instrument, obtaining
permission to change it, and making changes in it to fit
your requirements. Typically, authors of the original
instrument will ask for a copy of your modified version
and the results from your study in exchange for your
use of their instrument.
Search for an Instrument
If you decide to use an existing instrument, the
publisher or author will typically charge you a fee
for use of the instrument. Finding a good instrument
that measures your independent, dependent and
control variables is not easy. In fact, you may need
to assemble a new instrument that consists of parts
of existing instruments.
Strategies than can aid you in search of your
Instrument:

 Look in published journal articles

Often authors of journal articles will
report instruments and provide a few
sample items so that you can see the
basic content included in the instrument.
Strategies than can aid you in search of your
Instrument:
 Run an ERIC search
Use the term instruments and the topic of the
study to search the ERIC system for instruments.
Use the online search process of ERIC data base.
Use the same search procedure to locate
abstracts to article where the authors mention
instruments that they have used in their studies.
Strategies than can aid you in search of your
Instrument:
 Examine guides to tests and instruments
that are available commercially.
Criteria for Choosing a Good Instrument
 Have authors developed the instrument
recently, and can you obtain the most recent
version? With knowledge expanding in
educational research, instruments over 5 years
old might be outdated. To stay current, authors
update their instruments periodically, and you
need to find the most recent copy of an
instrument.
Criteria for Choosing a Good Instrument
 Is the instrument widely cited by other
authors? Frequent use by other researchers
will provide some indication of its
endorsement from by others.
Criteria for Choosing a Good Instrument
 Are reviews available for the instrument?
Look for published reviews about the
instrument in the MMY or in journals such as
Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling
and Development. If reviews exist, it means
that other researchers have taken the
instrument seriously and seek to document its
worth.
Criteria for Choosing a Good Instrument
 Is there information about the reliability and
validity of scores from past use of the
instrument?
 Does the procedure for recording data fit the
search questions/ hypotheses in your study?
 Does the instrument contain accepted scale of
measurements?
Are Score on Past Use of the Instrument
Reliable and Valid?
Reliability means that scores from an
instrument are stable and consistent. Score
should be nearly the same when researcher
administer the instrument multiple times at
different times.
Are Score on Past Use of the Instrument
Reliable and Valid?
Validity is the development of sound
evidence to demonstrate that the test
interpretation (of scores about the concept
and construct that the test is assumed
measure) ,matches its proposed use
 FORM OF NUMBER OF TIME S NUMBER OF NUMBER OF
RELIABILITY INSTRUMENT DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS
ADMINISTERED VERSION OF THE WHO PROVIDE
INSTRUMENT INFORMATION
Test – retest Twice at different One version of Each participant
reliability time intervals the instrument in the study
completes the
instrument twice.
Alternate Each instrument Two different Each participant
forms administered once versions of the in the study
reliability same concept or completes each
vehicle instrument
 FORM OF NUMBER OF TIME S NUMBER OF NUMBER OF
RELIABILITY INSTRUMENT DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS
ADMINISTERED VERSION OF THE WHO PROVIDE
INSTRUMENT INFORMATION
Alternate Twice at different Two different Each participant
forms and time intervals versions of the in the study
test- retest same concept or completes each
reliability variable instrument.
Internal Instrument One version of Each participant
consistency administered once the instrument in the study
reliability completes the
instrument
Are Score on Past Use of the Instrument
Reliable and Valid?
Validity is the development of sound
evidence to demonstrate that the test
interpretation (of scores about the concept
and construct that the test is assumed
measure) ,matches its proposed use
Collecting Qualitative Data
Qualitative data collection is more than
simply deciding on whether you will
observe or interview people.
Five Process in Qualitative Data Collection
1. In quantitative research, we
systematically identify our participants and
sites through random sampling; in qualitative
research, we identify our participants and
sites on purposeful sampling, based on
places and people that can best help us
understand our central phenomenon.
Five Process in Qualitative Data Collection
2. In both quantitative and qualitative
research, we need permissions to begin our
study, but qualitative research, we need
greater access to the site because we will
typically go to the site and interview people
or observe them. This process requires a
greater level of participation from the site
than does the quantitative research process.
 Five Process in Qualitative Data Collection
3. In both approaches, we collect data such as
interviews, observations and documentations. In
qualitative research, our approach relies on general
interviews or observation so that we do not restrict
the views of participants. We will not use someone
else’s instrument as in quantitative research and
gather close-ended information; we will instead
collect data with a few open-ended questions that
we design.
 Five Process in Qualitative Data Collection
4. In both approaches, we need to record the
information supplied by the participants. Rather than
using predesigned instruments from someone else or
instruments that we design, in qualitative research
we will record information on self-designed
protocols that help us organize information reported
by participants to each question.
Five Process in Qualitative Data Collection
5. Finally, we will administer our procedures of
qualitative data collection with sensitivity to the
challenges and ethical issues of gathering information
face – to- face and often in people’s homes or
workplaces. Studying people in their own environment
creates challenges for the qualitative researcher that
may not be present in quantitative research when
investigators mail out anonymous questionnaires or
bring individuals into the experimental laboratory.
 A. Case Studies
DEFINITION
A case study is an empirical enquiry that:
 Investigates a contemporary phenomenon in depth and within its real-life context
especially when boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident.
(Yin, 1994)
 It tries to illuminate a decision or set of decisions: why they were taken, how they were
implemented, and with what result (Schramm, 1971 emphasis added)
 Can be used on any mix of quantitative and qualitative evidence.
 Descriptive in nature, thus, qualitative
 PURPOSE
 To explore new areas and issues where little theory is available or
measurement is unclear.
 To describe a process or the effects of an event or an intervention,
especially when such events affect many different parties.
Example: Street Corner Society (1943/1955) by William F. Whyte
 It traces the sequence of interpersonal events over time, describe a
subculture that had rarely been the topic of the previous study, and
discovers key phenomena-such as career advancement of lower
income youths and their ability to break neighborhood ties.
 To explain a complex phenomenon. The analyst’s objective should be
to pose competing explanations for the same set of events and to
indicate how such explanations may apply to other situations.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF CASE STUDY TECHNIQUE
1. Descriptive
The data collected constitute descriptions. The main emphasis is
always on the construction of verbal descriptions of behavior
or experience but quantitative data may be collected.

2. Narrowly focused.
Typically offers a description only of a single individual,
groups, neighborhoods, institutions, program, and even events.
Often the case study focuses on a limited aspect of a person,
such as their psychopathological symptoms.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF CASE STUDY TECHNIQUE
3. Combines objective and subjective data.
All are regarded as valid data for analysis and as a basis for
inferences within the case study.
a. The objective description of behavior and its context.
b. Details of the subjective aspect, such as feelings, beliefs,
impressions and interpretations. It is uniquely able to offer a means
of achieving an in-depth understanding of the behavior and
experience of an individual.
4. Process-oriented
This method enables the researcher to explore and describe the
nature of processes, which occur overtime.
 THE CASE STUDY PROCESS

COLLECT THE DATA FROM THE FOLLOWING:

• DOCUMENTATION
• ARCHIVAL RECORDS
• INTERVIEWS
• DIRECT OBSERVATION
• PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION
• PHYSICAL ARTIFACTS
 B. Content Analysis
DEFINITION
• A METHOD OF ANALYZING WRITTEN, VERBAL OR VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS (COLE 1988)
• A SYSTEMATIC AND OBJECTIVE MEANS OF DESCRIBING AND QUANTIFYING PHENOMENA.
(KRIPPENDORF 1980, DOWNE – WAMBOLDT 1992, SANDELOWSKI 1995)
• A METHOD OF ANALYZING DOCUMENTS.
• ITS OBJECTIVE IS TO CONVERT RECORDED “RAW” PHENOMENA INTO DATA WHICH CAN BE
TREATED ESSENTIALLY SCIENTIFIC MANNER SO THAT A BODY OF KNOWLEDGE MAY BE
BUILT UP.
PURPOSE

• TO DESCRIBE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CONTENT.

SAMPLE PROBLEMS
a. TO DESCRIBE TRENDS IN COMMUNICATIONS (WHAT)
b. TO ANALYZE A STYLE (HOW)
 PURPOSE

• TO MAKE INFERENCES ABOUT THE CAUSES OF CONTENT.

SAMPLE PROBLEMS
a. TO ANALYZE PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAITS OF INDIVIDUALS (WHY)
b. TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OF DISPUTED AUTHORSHIP (WHO)
 PURPOSE

• TO MAKE INFERENCES ABOUT THE EFFECT OF CONTENT.

SAMPLE PROBLEMS
a. TO ANALYZE THE FLOW OF INFORMATION (WITH WHAT EFFECT)
b. TO ASSES RESPONSES TO COMMUNICATION (WITH WHAT
EFFECT)
 KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF CONTENTS
ANALYSIS TECHNIQUE
1. EMPIRICALLY GROUNDED METHOD.
IT EXAMINES DATA, PRINTED MATTER, IMAGES OR SOUNDS-TEXTS IN
ORDER TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY MEAN TO PEOPLE, WHAT THEY
ENABLE OR PREVENT, AND WHAT THE INFORMATION CONVEYED BY THEM
DOES.
2. EXPLORATORY
TRANSCENDS TRADITIONAL NOTIONS OF SYMBOLS, CONTENTS,
AND INTENTS.
3. PREDICTIVE
IT PREDICTS ON THE BASIS OF EXAMINATION AND INFER BASED ON
THE DATA GATHERED. ITS INFERENCES ARE LIMITED TO THE CONTENT OF
THE TEXT ONLY.
E. Documents

Consist of public and private records tat

qualitative researchers obtain.
Collecting Documents

1. Identify the types of documents that can

provide useful information to answer your
qualitative research questions.
2. Consider both public (e.g., school board minutes)
and private documents (e.g., personal diaries) as
sources of information for your research.
Collecting Documents

3. Once the documents are located, seek permission

to use them from the appropriate individuals in
charge of the materials.
4. If you ask participants to keep a journal, provide
instructions about the procedure. These guidelines
might include what topics and format to use, the
length of journal entries, and the importance of
writing their thoughts legibly.
Collecting Documents
5. Once you have permission to use documents, examine them
for accuracy, completeness, and usefulness in answering the
research questions in your study.

6. Record information from the documents. This process can take

several forms, including taking notes about the documents or, if
possible, optically scanning them so a text, file is created for
each documents. You can easily scan newspaper stories ( e.g.,
on speeches by presidential candidates) to form a qualitative
text database.
D. Focus Groups
Key Facts Example

•A facilitated group interview with

individuals that have something in
A group of parents of teenagers in an
common
after-school program are invited to
•Gathers information about combined
informally discuss programs that might
perspectives and opinions
benefit and help their children succeed
•Responses are often coded into
categories and analyzed thematically.
 D. Focus Groups
are designed to allow participants to discuss the questions and
share their opinions. This means people can influence one another in
the process, stimulating memory or debate on an issue. The
advantage of focus groups lies in the richness of the information
generated. The disadvantage is that you can rarely generalize or
apply the findings to your entire population of participants or clients.
Focus groups often are used prior to creating a survey to test concepts
and wording of questions. Following a written survey, they are used
to explore specific questions or issues more thoroughly.
D. Focus Groups
Here are some examples of ways to use focus groups:

Hold a structured meeting with staff in a community-based

organization to learn more about their grants management
practices, what worked during the year, and what did not.
Conduct a discussion with staff from several organizations to
explore their use of computer technology for tracking
financial data.
 E. Interviews
Equally popular to observation in qualitative
research is interviewing. A qualitative interview
occurs when researchers ask one or more
participants general, open- ended questions and
record their answers. The researcher then
transcribes and types the data into a computer file
from analysis.
 Types of Interviews in Social Research
 Unstructured
called life history interviews. In this type of
interview, the researcher attempts to achieve
a holistic understanding of the interviewees’
point of view or situation. The participant is
free to talk about what he or she deems
important, with a little directional influence
from the researcher.
 Types of Interviews in Social Research
 Semi - structured
In this type of interview, the researcher wants
to know specific information which can be
compared and contrasted with information
gained in other interviews.
The researcher produces an interview
schedule.
 Types of Interviews in Social Research
 Structured
Structured interview are used frequently in
market research. The interviewer askes you a
series of questions and ticks boxes with your
response. This is used in quantitative research
and can be conducted face-to-face or over
the telephone, sometimes with the aid of
laptop computers.
Types of Interviews and Open- Ended Questions
on Questionnaires
 One – on- One Interview
is a data collection process in which the
researcher asks questions to and records
answers from only one participant in the study
at a time. It is ideal for interviewing
participants who are articulate, and who can
share ideas comfortably.
Types of Interviews and Open- Ended Questions
on Questionnaires
 Focus Group Interview
is the process of collecting data through
interviews with a group of people typically four
to six. The researcher asks a small number of
general questions and elicits responses from all
individuals in the group.
Types of Interviews and Open- Ended Questions
on Questionnaires

 Telephone Interviews
Is the process of gathering data using the
telephone and asking a small number of general
questions.
Types of Interviews and Open- Ended Questions
on Questionnaires

 E- Mail Interviews
consist of collecting open-ended data through
interviews with individuals using computer and the
Internet to do so.
 Open- Ended Questions on Questionnaires

 Open – Ended Questions on Questionnaires

Ask some questions that are closed ended
and some that are open-ended
F. WHAT ARE KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS?
• IN DEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH 15-35 PEOPLE
• INTERVIEW IS FOCUSED ON A TOPIC WITH WHICH THE
INTERVIEWEE HAS FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE
• PRIMARY GOAL IS TO OBTAIN QUALITATIVE DESCRIPTION
OF PERCEPTIONS OR EXPERIENCES, RATHER THAN
MEASURING ASPECTS OF THE EXPERIENCE.
 KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS CAN PROVIDE

• QUALITATIVE, DESCRIPTIVE DATA FOR DECISION-MAKING

• UNDERSTANDING OF MOTIVATION, BEHAVIOR AND
PERSPECTIVES OF PARTICIPANTS
• EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSES OR SHORTCOMINGS OF THE
STUDY
• PRELIMINARY INFO FOR DESIGNING A QUANTITATIVE
STUDY
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

• PROVIDE INFORMATION FROM • DOESN’T WORK FOR

KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE
QUANTITATIVE DATA
• OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE
UNANTICIPATED IDEAS • VULNERABLE TO INFORMANT
• EASY AND INEXPENSIVE OR INTERVIEWER BIAS
• DIFFICULT TO PROVE VALIDITY
OF FINDINGS
 DATA COLLECTION METHOD AND
TECHNIQUES
H. Observation
Is the process of gathering open-
minded, firsthand information by
observing people and places at a
research site.
 Advantages
Includes opportunity to
record information as it
occurs in a setting, to study
actual behavior, and to
study individuals who have
difficulty verbalizing their
ideas (e.g preschool
children)
Disadvantages
The researcher will be limited
to those sites and situations
where he can gain access, and
in those sites, you may have
difficulty developing rapport
with individuals. This can occur
if the individuals are
unaccustomed to formal
research (e.g. a non-university
setting.
Observational Roles
 Role of a Participant Observer
is an observational role adopted by
researchers when they take part in activities in the
setting they observe.
 Role of Nonparticipant Observer
Is an observer who visits a site and records
notes without becoming involve in the activities.
Observational Roles
 Changing Observational Roles
is one where researcher adapt their role to
the situation. For example, you might first enter
a site and observe as a non participant, simply
needing to “look around” in the early phase or
research, Then you slowly become involved as a
participant. Sometimes the reverse happens
 L. What is a Survey?
A survey is a research method for collecting information
from a selected group of people using standardized
questionnaires or interviews. While many people think of a
questionnaire as the “survey”, the questionnaire is just one
part of the survey process. Surveys also require selecting
populations for inclusion, pre-testing instruments, determining
delivery methods, ensuring validity, and analyzing results. In
continuous quality improvement, surveys help to identify
customer expectations, measure satisfaction levels, and
determine specific areas for improvement.
Surveys can be conducted through:
• face-to-face interviews
• telephone interviews
• paper questionnaires
• online questionnaires
• a combination of these methods
Types of Survey Questions fall into two categories: open-ended
and closed.
In open-ended questions, participants answer the questions in
their own words. These types of questions are useful to elicit
respondent feelings, and to provide depth to an issue. They
should be written in a manner which precludes one-word
responses, such as “Yes” or “No”. Open-ended questions provide
much information about the selected topics, but they are more
difficult to analyze since they may cover a wide range of topics
and need to be coded or grouped to provide some level of
summary.
Closed questions
provide the respondent with a defined set of
answers. The response set can include categorical or
scaled responses. Categorical question response sets
have no inherent ordering within them. A question
about gender is categorical (Male, Female), as is a
question about type of transportation to work (Car,
Bus, Taxi, Bicycle, Walk).
Scaled responses
On the other hand, have some type of progressive
order. A question about age is one example of a
scaled question while another is a question which
asks respondents to rate their agreement or
satisfaction. Although responses to the latter may not
have a numerical value (i.e., Very Satisfied,
Somewhat Satisfied, Neutral, etc.), they are scaled
because they have a progressive order.
M.TESTS
A test can be considered an observation or experiment
that determines one or more characteristics of a given
sample, product, process, or service. The purpose of testing
involves a prior determination of expected observation and
a comparison of that expectation to what one actually
observes. The results of testing can be qualitative (yes/no),
quantitative (a measured value), or categorical and can be
derived from personal observation or the output of a
precision measuring instrument.
 Usually the test result is the dependent variable, the
measured response based on the particular conditions of the
test or the level of the independent variable. Some tests,
however, may involve changing the independent variable to
determine the level at which a certain response occurs: in this
case, the test result is the independent variable.
K.REGISTRATION
This method is governed by laws.

Example: The number of registered professionals can be found

at the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). The number
of births and death rates are registered in the National
Statistics Office (NSO).
Pros: This method is the most reliable since it is
enforced by laws.
Cons: Data are limited to what are listed in the document.
N. TRIANGULATION
Data triangulation validates your data and
research by cross verifying the same information.
This triangulation of data strengthens your
research paper because your data has increased
credibility and validity.
 The triangulation of data occurs when multiple
theories, materials or methods are used.
The following are a few of the most common
approaches:
 Data source triangulation—Using evidence
from different types of data sources, such as
primary and secondary research or interviews,
documents, public records, photographs and
observations
Methodology triangulation
Combining multiple methods to gather data,
such as documents, interviews, observations,
questionnaires or surveys, when conducting primary
research, at different times and in different places

 Theory triangulation
Using more than one theoretical approach
(theory) to interpret and support data
The triangulation of data strengthens your
research and allows you to write a better research
paper because of the following benefits.
Additional sources of information often give more
insight into a topic
Inadequacies found in one-source data is minimized
when multiple sources confirm the same data
Multiple sources provide verification and validity
while complementing similar data
 More comprehensive data is obtained
 Data and information is supported in multiple
places/types of research, which makes it easier
to analyze data to draw conclusions and
outcomes
 Inconsistencies in data sets are more easily
recognized
ADMINISTERING THE DATA COLLECTION
Broadly speaking there are three major steps in data collection.
1. One can ask people questions related to the problem being
investigated.
2. One can make observations related to places, people and
organizations
their products or outcomes.
3. One can utilize existing records or data already gathered by
others for
the purpose.
Steps in Primary Data Collection:
Collection of primary data involves the following steps :
1. Making oneself ready both mentally as well as physically
for collecting
primary data from field situations.
2. Keeping a field book/record book or diary for writing
relevant
information, doing field sketching or writing records of the
occurrence
of phenomenon at specific time intervals.
3. Administering questionnaire schedule to the target
groups of area people across sampled sites.
4. Verifying the facts through cross checks in the
answers and ground realties.
5. Integrating the observations, responses and
recorded facts in a systematic and logical framework.
B. Steps in Secondary Data Collection:

The collection of secondary data involves the following steps:

1. Knowledge about the offices/institutes etc. keeping the
record of relevant data is of prime importance to obtain
the secondary data/information.

2. Get an official letter containing your requirements of data

and purpose of data collection from your Principal/Head of
the Institute? Your identity card is also an essential requirement
to get an entry in the offices.
3. Keep a note book/record file to transfer data for
the purpose. It could also be done with the help of
photo copying systems.

4. The secondary data, thus, collected forms the basis

for tabulation and processing as per need.
C. Identification of Issues:
It is very important to identify clearly the issues that
are going to be assessed. Depending upon the
availability of time, cost, manpower and tools, a frame
work of issues to be covered need to be developed. In
case of local area planning the following issues need
to be considered.

1. Issues related to environmental conditions like

environmental degradation, quality of human life etc.
2. Social issues like people’s perception, literacy
status, health hazards,
incidence of crime etc.
3. Economic issues like employment, expenditure
pattern, flow of goods
and commodities etc.
4. Population study for agriculture, industry etc.
5. Landuse study for agriculture, industry etc
6. Facilities and amenities available for social and
economic development.
7. Problems related to growth of economy such as
irrigation, means of transportation, availability of
power etc.
8. Focal theme of planning like provision of basic
amenities in slum areas, pollution control, clean
environment in an industrial area.
http://www.virginia.edu/processsimplification/resources/PennSt
ate%20Surveys.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_method
http://strengtheningnonprofits.org/resources/e-
learning/online/datacollection/default.aspx?chp=1