ABSTRACT
Collecting data is the transition point in the research process. The concepts that were developed and defined into variables in the previous steps of the research process are measured in the data collection step. That is, the variables become data. Researchers collect data by distributing questionnaires, conducting interviews, or collecting existing data. These are primary and secondary sources of data. For example, a city manager interested in the median income levels of surrounding cities would find this information from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. These data are primary sources for the Census Bureau (it collects the data) but secondary for the city manager (she is using sources collected by someone else). This chapter presents a variety of data collection methods, as well as the validity, reliability, strengths, and weaknesses of each.
