ORGANISATION OF DATA

ORGANISATION OF DATA

INTRODUCTION

The nature of data depends upon the type of tool or techniques used by researchers for collecting these data. Most of the information in behavioural science including social psychology and education is in the form of verbal and other symbolic bahaviour. The verbal data gathered through questionnaire, observation or interview are mostly  qualitative in nature.  There data indicate what people have said in their own words about their experiences and interactions in natural setting, and after careful analysis, the data provide useful and depth answers to the  research questions of decision makers and information uses.

MEANING OF DATA

Scientific educational research require the data means of some standards research tools or self-designed instrument. Data means observations or evidences. Data are both qualitative and quantitative in nature.

Data are collected for both variables as well as attributes which are gathered in terms of frequency and scores. Score is the numerical description of an individual with regard to some characteristics or variables. Data depend for its measurement while tests yield the data in the form of scores, questionnaire provide the data in the form of frequency

DATA CAN BE CLASSIFIED INTO

1.     Quantitative data or attributes

2.     Qualitative data or variables

ORGANISATION OF QUANTITATIVE DATA

The quantitative data collected through the administration of various tools on selected sample or samples are raw. These data need to be tabulated, organized, analysed and interpreted for drawing sound conclusion and valid generalizations.

Organisation of data includes editing, classifying and tabulating quantitative information. Editing implies checking of the gathered raw data for accuracy, usefulness and completeness. Classification refers to dividing of the data into different categories, classes, groups or heads. For this, the researcher is guided by the nature of the problem, the hypotheses to be verified or by the responses or characteristics of the sample he has selected. If the problem or hypotheses, for example, involved the difference between attitudes of man and women teachers towards coeducation at the secondary school stage, the categories male and female serving in government and private aided schools would be clearly indicated. In some situations when the group is sufficiently homogenours, no breakdown into the categories or subgroups  is necessary and it is desirable to describe the group as a whole. However, in the situations, where the group is sufficiently heterogenous, it is describe to divide the group in  to homogenous sub groups or categories that have in common some distractive attributes significant for the purpose of analysis.

Tabulation is the process of transferring classified data from data gathering tools to the tabular form in which they may be systematically examined. This process may be performed in a number of ways. In simple and less sophisticated types of research, hand sorting and tabulating procedures are usually employed. More extensive and sophisticated investigations make use of card tabulating process.

HAND-SORTING AND HAND-TABULATION

Hand-sorting and Hand-tabulation require careful planning.

It includes method of hand-sorting and recording on tabulation sheets in accurate mathematical terms by marking and correcting frequency tallies for different items on which information is sought. The sorting of response sheets in case of psychological test, scales or opinionaires in various categories. At times without proper planning, a researcher may waste his time and energy by tabulating the responses first and then it might occur to him that it would be interesting to compare the responses of the various sub-groups comprising the sample under investigation. This process would require another handling of the response sheets, scales or opinionaires and would involve tabulating the response.

CARD TABULATING PROCESS

Several types of cards are used in data tabulation. They include edge marked cards, edge notched cards, IBM punched cards and mark-sense cards. Edge marked cards are provided with rows of numbered holes around their four edges. Each numbered space is used to record only one type of information. These cards can be sorted quickly into groups, but they are suitable only for investigations that involve a small number of variable. On edge-notched  cards, data are notched into punched holes spaces along the four edges of the card. IBM punched cards serve the most efficient and rapid method of processing a large volume of data on card for electronic computer processing. On marksense cards, a subject can make his answer in the proper space on a card with an electrographic pencil. A machine is used to read these marked data and convert them into punched holes on the same card. The machine further records data on another medium or transmit them directly to a computer.

ORGANISATION OF QUALITATIVE DATA

The qualitative data gathered using open-ended questionnaire, participant observation and in-depth interview are voluminous. They need to be organized and classified into specific patterns, categories and descriptive units to avoid any chaos. However before any such classifications, it is advisable to make some copies of all the data. Actual classification or organization can begin only after the copies are made. There are no formal or universal rules which a researchers may follow in organizing the data in various units, patterns or categories. It requires a creative approach and a lot of perseverance to give a meaningful look to the data. The contents of field note about the interview or observation may be read carefully by the research and he may note  down his comments in the margins or attach small piece of paper with his written notes using staples or tags. The next step is to arrange the data in topics for which the researcher may use abbreviations. The abbreviated topics are written either in the margins of the relevant data or on a slip of paper which may be attached with the relevant page. The process of classifying or labeling various kinds of data and preparing a data index is the essential step in the organization of qualitative data. Sometimes there are large data and it is not possible to develop a simple classification system. In such situations the data are organized with the help of computers. The computerized

classification system permits the use of organized data by several groups of people over a long period of time.

The mass of data collected through the use of various tools is yet but raw however reliable, valid and adequate it may be. It needs to systematized and organized that is edited, classified and tabulated and organized. It can serve any worthwhile purpose.

1.      Editing – editing implied the checking of gathered data

for accuracy, utility and completeness.

2.      Classifying – Classifying refers to the dividing to the

information into different categories, classes or heads for the data.

3.      Tabulating – Once the data have been collected through the

use of measuring instrument, some type of tabulation and possibly a transformation of data in preparation for the analysis may be necessary. If answer sheets are to be hard scored, routine precautions should be taken to practice for scores and accuracy checks while the actual scoring is being done Tabulating denotes the recording of the classified material in accurate mathematical terms by making and counting frequency for different items on which information is gathered. It is  tedious and painstaking process and must be accurate. Before, tabulating, all raw data should be tested on the basis the useful and usable data should be tabulate. Tabulating machines and other mechanical aids for tabulating should be used. Research study should make provision for machine scoring.

The list of test scores in teacher’s grade book provided an example of unorganized data. Because the usual method of listing is alphabetical, the scores are  difficult to interpret without some other type of organization.

Eg.	Albert, James	60
	Brown, Jobn	78
	Davis, Mary	90
	Smith, Helon	70
	Williams, Paul	88

THE  ORDERED  ARRAY OR SET

Arranging the same scores in descending of magnitude produces what is known as an ordered array.

90 , 88, 78, 70,  60

The ordered array provides a more convenient arrangement of 37 student’s score on an algebra test in ordered array form.

GROUPED DATA DISTRIBUTION

Data are often more clearly presented when scores are grouped and a frequency columns is included. Data can be presented in frequency tables with different class intervals, depending on the number and range the scores.

A score interval with an odd number of units may be preferable because its midpoint is a whole number rather than a transaction. Because all scores are assumed  to fall at the midpoint of the interval, the computation is less complicated.

Even interval of four 8, 9, 10, 11  (midpoint 9,  5)

Odd interval of five 8, 9, 10, 11  12, (midpoint  10

There is no rule that rigidly determines the proper score interval and intervals of 10 are frequently used.

SCORES ON ALGEBRA TEST GROUPED IN

CONCLUSION

Prior to the input stage of data analysis comes the organizing of data for proper input into the computer system. Regardless of the type of computer or program to used, if data are poorly organized the researches will have trouble analyzing their meaning. The data must first be coded categorical data such as person’s sex or occupation need to be given a number of represent them.