
The first step of primary data collection is to design a survey instrument (or questionnaire). Each of these steps are listed below, and require detailed planning, and coordination among the members of the research team.

The process of primary data collection consists of several steps, from questionnaire development, to enumerator training. However, even then, the research team must keep in mind certain ethical concerns related to owning and handling sensitive, or personally identifiable information (PII).īefore moving on to the discussion of concerns about ownership and handling, however, it is important to understand the process of collecting primary data. In such cases, the research team will need to collect data directly using well-designed interviews and surveys, and the research team typically owns the data that it collects. While impact evaluations often benefit from secondary sources of data like administrative data, census data, or household data, these sources may not always be available. It currently supports three major components of this process: testing survey instruments survey completion and data-cleaning and survey harmonization. iefieldkit is a Stata package that aids primary data collection.The research team must plan and prepare for primary data collection in advance.Depending on the research question, these interviews may take the form of household surveys, business (firm) surveys, or agricultural (farm) surveys.

Field surveys are one of the most effective medium for primary data collection.6 TOR: Create Budget and Plan Fieldwork.
