ABSTRACT
Data collection to fill in the measurements for these variables can take several forms.
These include observations, interviews, questionnaires, surveys, tests, focus groups, and the
use of secondary sources for data. Observation, simply put, is looking at what the research
subjects are actually doing and recording those inspections in a uniform way. In an interview,
the researcher actually talks to the participants to gather pertinent information regarding the
research topic. Questionnaires are self-reported data-collection instruments used to gather and
compile information in an orderly way according to the research construct. Surveys, which
may be done person-to-person or through other means, are a form of questionnaires that may
be used in a variety of circumstances. Tests are standardized measures of personality traits or
ability and validity checks. In all cases, the sample is a group of individuals who become the
research participants and who provide data on the existence, incidence, distribution, or interre-
lationship of the characteristics under scrutiny.
