Data Collection Methods - Essay Example

"Data Collection Methods" is a great example of a paper on care.
Data collection methods impact directly on the outcome of a study. The choice of data collection methods depends on the type of information needed and the objective of the study. In her study to discern the anxiety experienced by nurses in a clinical setting, Melincavage (2011) applied the qualitative method of data collection. She used face to face interviewing to obtain information regarding the experiences of nurses to understand the status of anxiety among nurses in a clinical setup (Melincavage, 2011). Transcription carried out by a professional followed the interview to confirm the accuracy of the information availed by the students.

The second study applied a quantitative method of collecting data to understand the effect of the nursing curriculum on nurses when practising. The study entailed third-year nursing trainees in two distinct universities with each of the institutions adopting a different curriculum during the study. The two curricula were the traditional style that involved mainly clinical studies intertwined with theory subjects delivered through lecturing during the entire period. The second university used a context-based learning curriculum where students receive nursing lessons in small groups while the supporting items entail traditional methods (Melo, Williams, & Ross, 2010). At the end of the study, the researchers collected the data for analysis.

Distinctions exist in the nature of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods based on the objective and the type of data collected. Quantitative methods of obtaining data revolve around seeking data that tend to explain how two occurrences relate (Yilmaz, 2013). For instance, in the study by Melo and colleagues (2010), the investigation was to find the impact of the curriculum on the practice of the nurses. In most cases where quantitative methods of data collection are applicable, the second event depends on the nature of the first one. In contrast, qualitative data collection methods are standard in studies that seek to understand underlying factors for a particular phenomenon.

The data collected via quantitative methods are numerical. The design of the surveys and questionnaires used in the data collections has the sole objective of giving numerical information for statistical exploration before arriving at a conclusion. Qualitative methods result in non-numerical data collected through interviews. Contrary to the objective of quantitative methods of data collection, the questions applied in qualitative methods do not seek definite answers due to the absence of explicit hypotheses. The subjects have room to give opinions (Ingham-Broomfield, 2015). It looks at life in a subjective manner where each person will not have a definite view on issues.

There exists a slight similarity between the two methods of collecting data. The data gathered by either of the methods require analysis. The analysis of data enables the researchers to get the information for making conclusions. The data collection methods may involve the same subjects because the location of different studies may coincide. In the study on anxiety among nurses, then instrument adopted is phenomenology that entails understanding a situation through experiences described by subjects (Melincavage et al., 2011). It’s a valid and reliable instrument appropriate in nursing research because it gives first-hand information. The author can probe the subjects to ensure the accomplishment of the objectives of the study. In the second study, the web formed the instrument for the study to retrieve the data submitted by the students (Melo et al., 2010). The instrument was valid and reliable due to the absence of bias that may occur in case the students submitted the information through other methods. Conducting the survey is appropriate because the authors have the option of choosing the most appropriate information.