Introduction > Planning Your Research > How Will You Collect Your Data > Collecting Primary Data

Collecting Primary Data If there are no guidelines, you generally have two options: 1) write your results directly into a notebook or 2) enter your results directly into a computer. There are pros and cons for both methods, but whichever method you use it's vital that you will be able to decipher your results at a later date, which if you're using a notebook means writing clearly! Your results will almost certainly need to be available in an electronic format at some stage and it's wise to make sure you back up your work at regular intervals. It may not be possible to have a computer/laptop whilst you're recording your results, but you could, for example, design a data collection table in Excel and then print this out to record your results. The quality of your secondary data may be variable. In some cases the information may only be available in hard copy and you may have to transfer this into an electronic version. It may be given to you in a specific format, which may need altering or you may be given a large file that needs editing before you can use it. To avoid spending hours (or even days!) inputting/editing unwanted information, be clear about the type of data you need to retrieve from what you're given. With large volumes of data it's easy to lose focus.

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