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Types of Data Collection

Updated 17 Sep 2026

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What it is
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  the methods by which data for a study is gathered
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Methods
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  surveys/questionnaires — self-report (the subject reports their own data), interviewer-administered (an interviewer asks and records responses), or proxy (someone else reports on the subject's behalf)
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  direct medical examination
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  direct measurement (e.g. blood draws)
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  administrative records (secondary data — data originally collected for another purpose)
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By data origin
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  primary data — collected specifically for the current study
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  secondary data — previously collected for another purpose and reused
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  this distinction is separate from the collection technique: survey data can be primary to one study and secondary to another
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Collection protocol
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  specify sources, instruments, units, questions or measurements, collection conditions, timestamps, and quality checks
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  document instrument settings, calibration where relevant, software versions, and procedural changes
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Related

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