COLLECTING THE DATA

In many studies, much of the work comes when it is time to collect the data. Remember that the interviewers or experimenters must carry out your well-designed survey or experiment exactly as you specified. In a survey, they must ask the questions in a standardized way, without leading the respondents, and they must use your coding schemes by entering the proper types of information in the right places. In an experiment, the experimenters must make sure that all the variables are accounted for on their particular sequence and level. It is important to note any irregularities for later analysis. Unless the interviewers (or you) gather the data well, all the work you did to prepare the study and any work you do to analyze it will be for naught.