1
A service study combines ticket logs with a short post-resolution survey because system records capture time while users report perceived clarity.
8 Data Collection Methods Examples
Use these examples to study structure, specificity, tone, and variation. They are demonstrations—not claims about a real person or organization unless the example itself makes that explicit.
Before you copy
What to notice in the examples
A strong data-collection plan matches each variable or research question to an appropriate source, instrument, timing, procedure, quality check, and ethical or privacy safeguard.
- Research question or construct being observed.
- Source and method such as survey, interview, observation, experiment, sensor, record, or document.
- Instrument, protocol, timing, and setting.
- Quality control, consent, security, and missing-data handling.
2
An interview study uses a semi-structured guide, audio recording with consent, and field notes after each session.
3
A classroom observation protocol records defined behaviors in five-minute intervals rather than free-form impressions alone.
4
A policy study extracts dates, authors, citations, and rule changes from versioned public documents.
5
A website experiment logs task completion and errors automatically, then collects one open-ended explanation.
6
A community study uses photo elicitation only after participants choose what may be photographed and retained.
7
A sensor project calibrates devices before deployment and records firmware version and missing periods.
8
A longitudinal survey keeps core items unchanged across waves and clearly labels newly introduced questions.
Keep the underlying decision or pattern, then replace the subject, evidence, relationship, constraints, and tone with details that belong to your situation. If your final line still works after swapping only one noun, it may be too close to the example.