Often data collected by using experiments, observations and questionnaires are known as empirical. What is the criteria which determine the primary data that collected from the research sample is empirical . Can we call primary data collected from semi-structured interview as empirical?
You can consider as empirical any type of data that have been acquired by means of observations and experimentation. In this sense data from semi-structured interview are surely empirical because they come from observations. The differences between quali and quanti data arise in the phase of the analysis.
You can consider as empirical any type of data that have been acquired by means of observations and experimentation. In this sense data from semi-structured interview are surely empirical because they come from observations. The differences between quali and quanti data arise in the phase of the analysis.
I second Loris on this. Any data coming from experiment or sensory experiences through any of your five senses may be considered empirical. Empiricists believe that knowledge come from our senses and that sensory experiences are primary source of knowledge.
Regards
Hi Jeeva,
Empirical data is created from experiments, experience, and observation as mentioned, and this is applied to the primary information that gathered through semi-structured interview because it is based either observations or people experiences. In addition, you built the interview based on empirical scientific literature. What is always matter is how your interview is created, how you collect data, how you analyze data, how much your sample is sufficient. keep on your mind that empirical data never come from single study. It is always recommended to test the knowledge created through interview by quantitative studies,
Good Luck, hope it may help
Empirical data is the primary data. Primary Data Primary data are those which are collected for the first time and are original in character.Collection of Primary Data Primary Data may be collected through:
Experiments
Surveys (sample surveys or census surveys)
Interviews
Observation
Questionnaires
Schedules
It is mostly the first hand data.
It can be qualitative or quantitative the research design and method decides the type of data.
Hi All,
Thankyou all for your view points. As Izzeddin mentioned some argue the knowledge that created from such qualitative methods , need to test through quantitative methods in order to such knowledge to be empirical. My question actually coming from that perspective. Then the data gathered from qualitative methods can be called as empirical? As the knowledge created through qualitative research methods needs to be further tested .
Dear Jeeva, there is no connection whatsoever between the type of methods to be employed in the analysis of data, and the classification of data, be they gathered in the form of text or numbers, as empirical or non-empirical. Empirical knowledge refers to knowledge gained from empirical data. The test of a hypothesis produces empirical knowledge, but so does the data collection itself, or the descriptive summary of the data. The use of "quantitative methods" is no criterion in the determination of data or knowledge resulting from the analysis of those data as empirical.
Generating ideas through qualitative observation (induction) is a different process from testing ideas quantitatively (deduction). both are empirical processes, and each can stand on its own, although they can also be connected.
Empirical implies experimental. And qualitative research uses observations, interviews etc, which is also experimentation. Hence qualitative research is empirical.
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