Data Collection

Data may be collected or generated through a wide range of methods, including experiments, observations, measurements, surveys, interviews, fieldwork, simulations, archival research, or the use of existing datasets and other sources.

What to Consider When Collecting Data?

When planning and carrying out data collection, researchers should consider:

• Type and scope of data — What data will be collected or generated, and in what volume?
• Collection methods — Which methods, instruments, tools, or procedures will be used?
• Data quality — How will the accuracy, consistency, and quality of the data be ensured?
• Documentation — How will the collection process, methods, instruments, and decisions be recorded?
• File formats — Which appropriate and sustainable formats will be used?
• Ethical considerations — Are informed consent, ethical approval, or other safeguards required?
• Legal requirements — Are there requirements related to personal data, confidentiality, intellectual property, or other restrictions?
• Storage and security — Where will the data be stored during collection, and how will it be protected and backed up?
• Reuse of existing data — If existing datasets are used, are their sources, licences, and conditions of reuse documented?

What to Document During Data Collection?

During data collection, consider documenting:

• What was collected — type, scope, volume, and source of the data.
• How it was collected — methods, protocols, procedures, instruments, and tools used.
• When and where — dates, locations, and relevant environmental or experimental conditions.
• Who collected the data — researchers, research teams, or other contributors, where relevant.
• Data formats — file formats and structures used to store the collected data.
• Data quality — quality-control procedures, validation, checks, and any identified issues.
• Changes and deviations — changes to the planned methodology or data-collection procedures.
• Data processing — any cleaning, transformation, coding, or other processing carried out during collection.
• Ethical and legal considerations — consent, anonymisation or pseudonymisation, confidentiality, and other restrictions where applicable.
• Supporting documentation — codebooks, questionnaires, protocols, metadata, notes, or other information needed to understand the data.