What is Data Collection?

High quality data is crucial for conducting market research, assessing user behavior, and analyzing business performance. The term “data collection” refers to the systematic process of collecting, measuring, and interpreting information to yield valuable insights. The data collection process can be divided into four steps. First, define the aim of your research by writing a problem statement and one or more research questions. Then, choose the method best suited for your research. For example, a focus group would be more effective than a survey if you want an in-depth understanding of your respondent’s opinions. As the third step, you must plan your data collection procedures. These are the specific measures necessary to gather data in a consistent, accurate, and unbiased manner. Consider how you will evaluate your variables, create a sample group, eliminate biases, and organize the information. Finally, collect your data and double check its accuracy.

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Common Data Collection Challenges

1. Cost of Research

In-house data collection can be an expensive and time-consuming process. To get started, a company may have to hire a team of data collectors, compare their diversity and skills to the project requirements, onboard and train the team, acquire relevant resources, and track the project’s progress. To overcome this challenge, most companies estimate costs and deadlines early. It’s also helpful to opt for a cost-effective data collection method.

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2. Data Quality

It’s challenging to ensure data quality, especially when working with large amounts of unstructured data. After collection, the data may need to be cleaned, reduced, and transcribed. These additional measures are prone to error, and they require substantial time and effort. Leverage data processing tools, outsourcing, or crowdsourcing to mitigate quality issues.

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3. Limited Access to Data

There are several reasons why your company’s data access may be restricted or limited. For example, consumers tend to disable unnecessary cookies due to privacy concerns. Without access to necessary data, companies may create incomplete or biased datasets which lack important insights. Possible solutions to this problem include considering legal and ethical issues, utilizing data collaboration platforms, and employing data anonymization standards.

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4. Legal and Compliance Regulations

Most countries have regulations regarding the collection, usage, and storage of data. For example, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) prohibits companies from collecting personal data from people in the EU without their explicit consent. It’s also possible that data collected in one country may not be used in another. It’s important to study relevant regulations before collecting any information, especially if the study spans multiple countries since laws can vary.

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Collecting Data With Surf

Tackle your data collection challenges with Surf’s white label browser extension and mobile app. Our solutions amass anonymized, aggregated, and compliant information by collecting the data that people choose to share. Users are incentivized in a cost-effective manner through fun rewards and giveaways. Additionally, our infrastructure and dedicated account managers make it easy to store and analyze consumer data. Book a meeting to learn more.