Understanding the data collection

There is immense importance of data collection in the research methodology.  Usually the task of data collection is done by the students during the research work. In case of experimental thesis, the data will be gathered during the laboratory experiments. In case of the statistical research it could be collected as a part of the research work. The step of data collection is an important step and therefore, should be taken very seriously.

Data collection through surveys

Survey is an integral part of the research work. It is a descriptive method of research and usually non-experimental. It is used when the researchers can’t observe phenomena directly and still want to collect substantial data for that. It is better to do a survey and ask questions to various people. The data is gathered and analyzed on the basis of certain hypothesis and then, conclusion is drawn about the success or failure of the hypothesis. There is always a sample size selected for the survey and then, the questionnaire is distributed or personal interview is taken depending on the type of research.

a)    The questionnaire: They are pencil and paper instruments. The respondents are supposed to fill the answers and return to the person. The answers can be open-ended or close-ended; The open-ended questions give the flexibility of writing free flow while the close-ended questions will have to be selected from the given choices.

b)    Interview: It will be based on the personal interaction. Again it can be a closed-ended interview where the interviewer will give you multiple choices and you need to respond accordingly. For open-ended interviews, it will be given on the user’s discretion and it is analyzed and understood by the interviewer.

Methods of interview/questionnaire

a)    Written: This is the conventional method where the questions are given in the printed or handwritten form. The person is supposed to fill the paper and return to the interviewer. There are some advantages of this method. There is a permanent record of the material and you can refer it any time. However, it is tedious to maintain the huge pile of papers and it is wastage of valuable resources as well.

b)    Electronic: Nowadays people prefer this method and ask questions in the electronic form. There is space given on the electronic form in case it is an open-ended questionnaire. Also, there are multiple choices given in case of a closed-ended questionnaire.

Data collection is an important aspect and therefore, the researcher should be very particular about the quality of the same.

Basic steps to get started with PhD thesis topics

The frightening component of writing a new dissertation could possibly be starting the actual journey and trying to find out what makes for good topics and good questions. This often brings some unhappiness in the relationship between mentors with PhD students.  This article covers how to get started on the method of picking your closing dissertation topic and exploration questions, potential articles may discuss each and every question at length. Below are some steps that help you in getting started with choosing PhD thesis topics.

• Start by simply making an index of topics that will interest readers of all kinds. Remember your current goal is to choose a topic of your interest. You'll need to work on this topic for several years, and likely with the end will probably be less intrinsically intriguing than it is now. Therefore, choose an issue that you find to be fascinating and is worthy of researching for decades.

• Remember that a general topic can have a lot of potential questions and your research can give answers to that question. It is advised to open up a spreadsheet and commence it by simply putting prospective topics in the left-hand column and use the subsequent columns towards the right of the topic to potential questions that you find to be interesting. 

• Review your current questions on a regular basis. Go into the topics along with questions at multiple times for a month or more. Be careful as you will be utilizing any one of these topics or perhaps questions for a particular time period. 

• The next step is always to begin reading through the list that you've formed. Some of the topics and questions seem to be completely new to most of the readers, while some may be familiar with the topics and questions.

• Spend more time studying every topic you might have on the actual list. Go in your college database to see research posts that are related to the questions you formed.

• At last, you can finalize the topics for which you have answers to all the questions. 

Overall, your thesis topic should be selected in such a way that it can address the existing issues in that particular topic. Even though there are some previous works on that topic you can come up with your own analysis and independent aspect. To know more about thesis topics and their selection, you can visit – phdbox.edu.in, where you will get complete assistance in choosing an appropriate thesis topic.