ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the process of data collection in mixed methods research. Data collection in mixed methods research requires careful thought and planning before the actual gathering of data commences. The chapter also discusses five common primary data collection methods that can be gainfully utilised in mixed methods projects: questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, observations, and media analysis. Social media analysis is a term that covers a number of emerging data collection methods, each of which involve drawing on data from online social media sources such as Twitter and Facebook. Primary data collection involves the collection of the data. For one thing, collecting primary data can be an enormously time-consuming process. A questionnaire is composed of a series of questions or other prompts designed to gather data from the respondents. Interviews are a very common means of data collection in qualitative criminological research and have been used in studies on a wide range of issues.