Data Collection, Preparation and Questionnaire Analysis

Start with a map

The resources on this page offer several ways into data collection and analysis. Start with Editing and Coding for an overview of raw data, information and editing concerns. Its branches cover how questions are asked, answers are recorded and respondents are screened. Follow the branches, then explain each concern in your own words.

For a broader view of collection methods, use the mind map covering types of data and tools such as observation, interviews, focus groups, surveys and questionnaires. It also includes analyzing results.

Study specific questions with flashcards

The flashcards on outliers ask what outliers are, what problems they present and what a researcher needs to consider when approaching them. Work through the prompts after studying the map, and note any terms you want to check again.

The causal research flashcards cover requirements for causality, including the order of variables and the elimination of alternative explanations. They offer a different focus from the editing map, while keeping data collection in view.

Follow questionnaire responses

Questionnaire themes groups strengths and possible improvements. Another map looks at responses by areas including demographics, energy behavior and familiarity. The flowchart follows questionnaire responses as they are grouped into dimensions, then used to define prospects and outreach suggestions.

These resources are part of a section of the wider unit in Research methods and academic skills. Together, they show different ways the section approaches collecting, preparing and analyzing data.

Use maps alongside questions

There are no quizzes listed on this page, so use the flashcard questions with a map instead. A free account also lets you make your own quiz and save your quiz scores. You can then use a map to check the topics your questions cover.

Choose a map, follow its branches and work through a related set of flashcards.