Tip of the Week

Data Gathering Methods

When researching a problem, use at least two data gathering methods. For example, you might interview people along with conducting a written survey. Or, you may hold focus groups in addition to a telephone survey.

So What?

Every method of gathering information has some sort of blind spot. Using multiple methods gives you a deeper insight in to the issues at hand. For example, a survey might reveal that employees are dissatisfied, but probing in an interview might uncover their specific concerns.