What are the methods of data collection used in health services research? Describe their characteristics.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Research data may be collected either empirically or from existing sources. Published data may be ordered directly from the publisher or obtained from university libraries. Federal, state, and local governments regularly publish various kinds of data, such as vital statistics obtained from birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates, as well as population demographics prepared from census data. Health services investigators also rely on health statistics, health survey results, and mental health statistics found through sources such as Publications and Information Products from the National Center for Health Statistics; Health, United States, 2015, also from National Center for Health Statistics; Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Behavioral Health, United States, 2012 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Unpublished data can be obtained directly from institutions or investigators.

Empirical data originate with the research and may be collected either with a data collection instrument or through observational methods. Observation can occur in many settings, and the data collected helps describe the research setting, the activities that took place in that setting, the people who participated in these activities, and the meaning of what was observed from the perspective of those observed. Observation may be conducted as a participant immersed in the research setting or as a nonparticipant onlooker who sees what is happening but does not become involved.

The most common method of data collection is collecting data with a prepared instrument. The data collection instrument may be self-administered by subjects who fill it out themselves or administered by researchers. The most common self-administered data collection method is the mail questionnaire survey. It contains a list of information or opinion questions, and is mailed to potential respondents who represent the research population. Respondents are asked to complete the questionnaire and return it by mail. Self-administered questionnaires are also increasingly administered over the Internet, and can also be self-administered in group settings, where the questionnaire is distributed to group members who are asked to complete and return the instrument.

Emerging technologies are also being utilized. Data collection can take place through the use of PDAs, tablet computers, cell phones, and other devices. These methods reduce data entry, speed up the data collection process, are more environmentally friendly, and reduce security vulnerabilities. However, they may not be appropriate for specific populations, settings, and projects, and can be expensive.

Researchers can also administer questionnaires to respondents in face-to-face interviews and telephone interviews. In the face-to-face interview, the interviewer administers a highly structured questionnaire with a planned series of questions to a respondent. The interviewer records the respondent’s answers by checking off relevant categories in close-ended questions and taking notes in open-ended questions. In the telephone interview, researchers first locate potential respondents by telephone before administering the prepared research instrument.

Less-structured data collection methods include focus group studies and in-depth interviews. While the in-depth interview refers to a one-on-one interview, the focus group study involves several respondents at a time. In both methods, rather than strictly following the predetermined questions from a questionnaire instrument, interviewers encourage respondents to freely discuss their thoughts, asking questions spontaneously based on the flow of conversation.