I think Cristian Ramos-Vera has at best only indicated a start. You need to study research methods as used in your field. statistics through linear statistical models, use of a research grade statistical computer package, and the subject area in which you desire to work. This is a minimum not a maximum. Good luck, D. Booth.
Before data collection the core stage of any research is to understand about the gape or research questions. This is possible by literature review and than to get much higher theoretical and technical skills of data collections and implementation for adding further contribution to the previously accomplished area of research (or it may be a commencement of new research). A step wise general procedure (for any research project, e.g., Bachlor/Master, PhD etc.,...) may be:
1) It may be unsolved (or partially solved, but may need further upgrades or improvements…may be open from decades to solve gradually, e.g., Human GENOME project etc., … ) topic or problem from academia, industry or other end users.
2) Crucial to know about the scope and gape of the research topic with getting questions on hands and the answers to be investigated.
3) In particular, it is important for the researcher/investigator to know about the importance and benefits of the underline research with goals to convince the academia, industry or other end users for getting research responsibility and grants.
4) To make literature review by reading and understanding most of the previous research findings related to the current research.
5) To evaluate the exact gape and then to gain further theoretical and computational knowledge with tools, related to the filling/solving of research gape or upgrade of the research questions at hand.
6) To outline the research steps and enhanced understanding and improvements in its development month by month within the given time frame of the research accomplishment.
7) To accomplish and meet all the research goals (of the PhD/Project) and in some or many occasions to share it with the global scientific community by presentations to audiences and publications in conferences and journals.
8) The phase of research presenting to the live audiences and its publishing in conference and journals provides golden opportunities to get valuable discussions and comments from the other research experts.
9) By passing through the above phases, the PhD candidate or project solver has to write a complete report of their corresponding PhD research work (THESIS) or project report.
10) The report must have significant research impact that may be reviewed and acknowledged by some expert referees within the related research area.
11) At this stage the outcomes may be in the form of accepts, accepts with minor review, accept with major review, acceptable for the Master degree only, or total reject.
12) Convocation for the grant of the degree for successful PhD candidates.
Once the research objectives and research questions are clarified the research method is outlined in order to fulfill those objectives. data collection varies based on the types of research such as qualitative or quantitative and also depend on the types of respondents. survey, interview, FGD are used to collect data for the research. after data is collected then there are several tools to analyse the data such as SPSS, PLS, AMOS etc. based on the objectives of the research the researchers can use the appropriate tools to analyse the data. Thanks.
If you have a clear idea about your reseach topic where you identify your research gap after throughly investigation of litarature review, you will get some idea about how you will design your research objectives and questions. At the time of preparing a questionnaire make sure for whom you are preparing and how you will analyze it. This will help you to identify propable risks you will face and the solutions. Make an activity table for data collection where you can include expected no of respondents, actual no of respondents, city, area, feedback, time required to collect data etc., Before final analysis do pre test and pilot test.