CBSE Class 11 Economics Collection of Data Worksheet Set C

STATISTICS FOR ECONOMICS

COLLECTION OF DATA

→ INTRODUCTION

The purpose of collection of data is to collect evidence for reaching a sound and clear solution to a problem. When data for a period of varies from year to year they are called variable generally represented by the letters X, Y or Z. The values of these variables are the observation.

For example
The food grain production in India varies between 100 million tonnes in 1970-71 to 220 million tonnes in 2001-02 as shown in the following table. The years are represented by variable X and the production of food grain in India (in million tonnes) is represented by variable Y

Production of Food Grain in India (Million Tonnes)

♦ WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF DATA?

Statistical data can be obtained from two sources.
• Primary Data: The enumerator (person who collects the data) may collect the data by conducting an enquiry or an investigation. Such data are called Primary Data, OR first hand information.

• Secondary data: If the data have been collected and processed (scrutinised and tabulated) by some other agency, they are called Secondary Data. Generally, the published data are secondary data. They can be obtained either from published sources or from any other source, for example, a web site. Use of secondary data saves time and cost.

♦ HOW IS DATA COLLECTED?

Data is collected by conducting a survey by asking questions about a particular product or
topic from a large group of people. The purpose of the survey is to collect data. Survey is a
method of gathering information from individuals.

♦ PREPARATION OF SURVEY INSTRUMENT

The most common type of instrument used in surveys is questionnaire/ interview schedule. The questionnaire is either self administered by the respondent or administered by the researcher (enumerator) or trained investigator. While preparing the questionnaire/ interview schedule, the following

points must be kept in mind:

•  The questionnaire should not be too long. Generally 10 – 15 questions. Long questionnaires discourage people from answering.
• The series of questions should move from general to specific.
•  The questions should be precise and clear.
•  The questions should not be ambiguous, to enable the respondents to answer quickly, correctly and clearly.
•  The question should not use double negatives.
•  The question should not be a leading question, which gives a clue about how the respondent should answer.
•  The question should not indicate alternatives to the answer.
• The questionnaire may consist of closed ended (or structured) questions or open ended (or unstructured) questions.

Closed ended or structured questions can either be a two-way question or a multip1e choice question. Closed -ended questions are easy to use, score and code for analysis, because all the respondents respond from the given options.
Open-ended questions allow for more individualised responses, but they are difficult to interpret and hard to score, since there are a lot of variations in the responses.

♦ MODE OF DATA COLLECTION

There are three basic ways of collecting data:

1. Personal Interviews

This method is used when the researcher has access to all the members. The researcher conducts face to face interviews with the respondents.

Advantages

• Personal contact is made between the respondent and the interviewer.
• The interviewer has the opportunity of explaining the study and answering any query of the respondents.
• The interviewer can request the respondent to expand on answers that are particularly important.
• Misinterpretation and misunderstanding can be avoided.
• Watching the reactions of the respondents can provide supplementary information.

Disadvantages

• It is expensive
• It takes longer time to complete the survey.
• Presence of the researcher may hold back respondents from saying what they really think.

2. Mailing (questionnaire) Surveys

When the data in a survey are collected by mail, the questionnaire is sent to each individual by mail with a request to complete and return it by a given date.

Advantages

• It is less expensive.
• It allows the researcher' to have access to people in remote areas, who might be difficult to reach in person or by telephone.
• It does not allow influencing of the respondents by the interviewer.
• It also permits the respondents to take sufficient time to answers to the questions.
• These days’ online surveys or surveys through short messaging service

Disadvantages

• There is less opportunity to provide assistance in clarifying instructions
• There is a possibility of misinterpretation of questions.
• Mailing is also likely to produce low response rates due to factors such as returning the questionnaire without completing it, not returning the questionnaire at all, loss of questionnaire in the mail itself, etc.

3. Telephone Interviews

In a telephone interview, the investigator asks questions over the telephone.

Advantages

• They are cheaper than personal interviews and can be conducted in a shorter time.
• They allow the researcher to assist the respondent by clarifying the questions.
• Telephone interview is better in the cases where the respondents are reluctant to answer certain questions in personal interviews.

PILOT SURVEY

Once the questionnaire is ready, it is advisable to conduct a try-out with a small group which is known as pilot OR Pre-Testing of the questionnaire.

Advantages

• The pilot survey helps in providing a preliminary idea about the survey.
• It helps to know the shortcomings and drawbacks of the questions.
• It also helps in assessing the suitability of questions, clarity of instructions, Performance of enumerators and the cost and time involved in the actual survey.

♦ CENSUS AND SAMPLE SURVEYS

Census Survey

A survey, which includes every element of the population, is known as Census or the Method of Complete Enumeration. The essential feature of this method is that this covers every individual unit in the entire population. You cannot select some and leave out others.

Census of India is carried out every ten years. A house-to- house enquiry is carried out, covering all households in India. Demographic data on birth and death rates, literacy, workforce, life expectancy, size and composition of population, etc. are collected and published by the Registrar General of India.

Sample Survey

Population or the Universe in statistics means totality of the items under study. A population is always all the individuals/items who possess certain characteristics or a set of characteristics according to the purpose of the survey.

The first task in selecting a sample is to identify the population. Once the population is identified, the researcher selects a Representative sample. A sample refers to a group or section of the population from which information is to be obtained. A good sample is generally smaller than the population and is capable of providing reasonably accurate information at a much lower cost and shorter time. Most of the surveys are sample
surveys.

Advantages of Sampling

• A sample can provide reasonably reliable and accurate information at a lower cost and shorter time.
• More detailed information can be collected by conducting intensive enquiries.
• A smaller team of enumerators is required and it is easier to train than and supervise their work more effectively.
• There are two main types of sampling

Multiple Choice Questions

Question. To collect information from a group of an uneducated people, which of the following method is most suitable?
(a) Direct personal investigation
(b) Indirect oral investigation
(c) Questionnaire method
(d) All of the above
Answer : A

Question. In the world of changing consumer presences for various goods and services, which of the following method should be used to collect data by the companies to matchup with the expectations of people?
(a) Direct personal investigation
(b) Indirect oral investigation
(c) Information through local correspondents
(d) Any of the above
Answer : C

Question. Which of the following methods of collecting data is most appropriate when the investigator doesn’t require a highly accurate data?
(a) Direct personal investigation
(b) Information collected from local correspondents
(c) Information collected from NSSO data
(d) Questionnaire filled by enumerators
Answer : C

Question. Data collected through direct personal investigation is flexible. Choose the most appropriate option from given below.
(a) True
(b) False
(c) Partially true
(d) Incomplete information
Answer : A

Question. A person who is trained to collect information from the source is known as
(a) Respondent
(b) Enumerator
(c) Investigator
(d) None of these
Answer : B

Question. In every ten-year, government of India collects information about the population using ……… method.
(a) census
(b) sample
(c) case study
(d) None of the above
Answer : A

Question. Indirect oral investigation lacks accuracy.
Choose the most appropriate option from given below.
(a) True (b) False
(c) Partially true
(d) Incomplete information
Answer : A

Question. More precaution should be kept in mind while collecting primary data than secondary data. Choose the most appropriate option from given below.
(a) True
(b) False
(c) Partially true
(d) Incomplete information
Answer : B

Question. Quota sampling is type of ……… .
(a) judgement sampling
(b) random sampling
(c) non-random sampling
(d) None of the above
Answer : C

Question. The world is facing the covid pandemic even now. During its initial days, government of India conducted tests of citizens on a frequent interval to ensure that virus does not spread to the community. This is an example of which of the following types of survey?
(a) Sample survey
(b) Census survey
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) Descriptive survey
Answer : A

Question. ……… refers to an investigation on a topic by an agency to collect relevant quantitative information.
(a) Statistics data
(b) Statistical enquiry
(c) Investigation
(d) All of these
Answer : B

Question. Which of the following are the sources of collecting quantitative data?
(a) Internal Sources
(b) External Sources
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) Neither (a) nor (b)
Answer : C

Question. During the Corona outbreak in India, the entire country was locked down initially for 21 days except for essential services. Different news channels are reporting from different parts of the country. This is an example of
(a) indirect oral investigation
(b) information received from local correspondents
(c) information from government official source
(d) None of the above
Answer : B

Question. Which method should be used to collect data where data is sensitive?
(a) Indirect oral investigation
(b) Information received from local correspondents
(c) Information from mailed questionnaire
(d) Telephonic conversation
Answer : D

Question. The diagnostic centres which collect blood of a patient to test is an example of
(a) sample method
(b) census method
(c) diagnostic method
(d) None of these
Answer : A

Direction Read the following case study and answer questions 66 to 70 on the basis of the same.
You are Rohan Verma, an investigator who wish to conduct a survey to study the smoking behaviour of University students. For this reason, you prepared a questionnaire based upon the objective of the survey and keeping in mind the size of the target group, trained 5 people to complete the survey. Your target group comprised of 1,500 students across 10 different colleges. You followed all methods of statistics to ensure the accuracy of the data.

Question. Which of the following source of data is referred in the above situation?
(a) Primary data
(b) Secondary data
(c) Internal data
(d) None of these
Answer : A

Question. Which method of collecting primary data will be most suitable in the above situation?
(a) Direct personal investigation
(b) Indirect oral investigation
(c) Information through local correspondents
(d) None of the above
Answer : B

Question. Assertion (A) Indirect oral investigation method is less reliable but economical.
Reason (R) When information is collected from third party, information should be verified before analysis.
Alternatives
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A)
(b) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A)
(c) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false
(d) Both are false
Answer : A

Question. The person who helps the investigator in collecting information is known as …….
(a) Enumerator
(b) Respondent
(c) Investigator
(d) None of these
Answer : A

Question. Most important step to be followed after preparing the questionnaire will be … .
(a) pre-testing
(b) post-testing
(c) pilot survey
(d) Both (a) and (c)
Answer : D

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