At this point in the evaluation process, the detailed logistics of where, when, and how to obtain data is implemented.  To successfully collect data there are two primary planning questions that need to be answered:

• When do you need to have measurements in place to determine if you have met your program objectives?
• Who is responsible for administering required evaluation instruments and collecting these data?

Another important step in the data collection phase is to address ethical issues such as maintaining confidentiality or anonymity and obtaining informed consent.  Any research involving human participants must protect the participants from undue harm.  Following good ethical standards helps to insure human participants the right of privacy.  In assuring the privacy of participants, you must choose whether you will collect the data confidentially or anonymously. 

So, what is the difference between confidential and anonymous data collection?

Confidential data collection:  The evaluators (or others) can identify who completed the data collection instrument (e.g., survey or interview), but promise not to reveal it to anyone else.  There may be certain circumstances where it is not possible to ensure anonymity, but confidentiality could be protected.  For instance, if you will need to collect data from the same participants more than once, you will need to have an identifier included on the data collection instrument so that you can match the pre-test with the post-test for each individual participant when you analyze the data.

Anonymous data collection:  The evaluators (or others) cannot identify who completed the data collection instrument (e.g., survey or interview).  No information that would identify individual participants is included in the data collection instrument.  Anonymity may increase your response rate because participants may be more comfortable sharing information with you.  Additionally, anonymity may increase the validity of data because participants may be more likely to provide honest information if they know it will not be connected back to them personally.

The most common way that the ethical guidelines described about are met is by acquiring informed consent from participants.  This should be a standard operating procedure for all evaluation data that is collected.  You should ensure that you have each respondent’s consent to participate in your evaluation by having him or her read and sign a consent form.  If you are collecting information from, or about, young children or minors, you should also obtain their parents’ consent for their participation.

There are two basic types of consent:

Active Consent describes those situations in which the evaluators are required to seek each participant’s (and/or their parent/guardian’s) agreement, usually in writing, to participate in the data collection.

Passive Consent describes those situations in which the evaluators are required to inform participants (and/or their parent/guardians) about the research/evaluation being conducted.  If participants (and/or their parents/guardians) do not want to participate in the study, then they need to contact the evaluator to decline.

Once you have determined a data collection method and have obtained appropriate consent, the final step in this phase of the evaluation process is to actually collect the data.

PHASE 5: ANALYZE >>