DEFENCE UNIVERSITY

MAJ. GEN. MULUGETA BULI POLITECHNICALCOLLEGE

under

Ethiopian TVET System

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
SUPPORT SERVICE
Level I
Unit of Competence:
GATHER DATA ON BUSSINES REQUIREMENT

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 For this course we have seen FOUR
learning outcomes:-
LO 1: Identify key information sources
LO2 : DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUE
LO 3: Ensure analysis is accurate and complete
LO4: Submit analysis and gain agreement

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LO1 - Identifying the key sources of
information
Information is a collection of meaningful or
useful data that can be used as a base for
guidance and decision-making

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sources of information are classified in to two
major categories:
1. Documentary sources
2. Non-Documentary sources.

Documentary Sources are documented or

recorded sources of information in different
forms

 non-documentary sources are those that are

not properly recorded or documented for
public.

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 Primary sources
PRIMARY - is first hand information, gathered by
the user e.g. using a questionnaire, using different
data collection techniques.

Primary Documentary Sources of Information:

-are the first records of original research and
development undertakings.

Some of these are:

 periodical,
reports, patent (copy right) standards,

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 Primary documentary
sources
are not always in published (available) form.

unpublished primary documentary

sources
laboratory reports,
memorandum,(letter)
diary, letters,
inscription (massage) on stones, coins

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primary sources include
personal newspaper ad and
correspondence and stories
diaries laws and legislative
works of art and hearing
journalism census (research)or
demographic records
Speech (language)
plant and animal
and oral histories
specimen
audio and video
recordings coins and tools
photographs and
posters 7
 Written sources
Written reports can make an excellent source
of information for a journalist.

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  Leak documents

You may occasionally (regularly) be given documents
which have not been officially released to the press.


They may be given to you by someone in a company or
government department who does not want to be seen
giving them to the media.


We call these leaked documents.
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 Other Primary Source of information

1. Periodicals
Periodicals make up the largeness of primary
source journalism of business

2.Resurch report
They are of a less polished form as they are
produced early in the research process.
3. patent (official document)
Patents have proven to be an immensely (grate)
valuable information source for invention,
technology, business, and legal actions.
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4. Standards
Standards are rules for quality, size, or shape
of industrial products

5. Trade (buy & sell) literature

Industrial and commercial companies produce
trade literature, which constitutes an important
form of primary sources of scientific and
technical literature.

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6. Thesis (theory) and dissertation
(paper)
They provide evidence from original research
and thus form an important category of
documents.

 The main function of a thesis or dissertation is

to demonstrate the candidate(applicant)
grasp(take hold of) of a field.

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Secondary Documentary Sources
of Information:
 which are either compile (collect) from or
referred to the primary sources of
information
Examples:
 periodical,
 index, (catalog)
 Bibliographies, Textbooks,
 Reference books, etc.

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The nature (characteristics) of
secondary sources of information
answer the question or solve the
problem.
• secondary sources can yield (give up)a great
deal more information than can be had
through a primary data collection exercise.
• The time involved in searching secondary sources
is much less than that needed to complete primary
data collection.

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Secondary sources of information can yield more

accurate (correct) data than that obtained

through primary research.
Secondary sources help define the population.

Secondary data can be extremely useful both in

defining the population

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The problems of secondary
sources
Definitions
Measurement error
Source bias(not fair judgment)

Reliability

Time scale (amount)

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Sources of information

Secondary sources of information may be

divided into two categories: internal sources

and external sources.

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 Internal sources of
information
Sales data: All organizations collect information
in the course of their everyday operations

Financial data: An organization has a great deal

of data within its files on the cost of producing,
storing, transporting and marketing each of
its products.

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Transport data: Companies that keep good records
relating to their transport operations are well placed to
establish which are the most profitable routes, and
loads

Storage data: The rate of stock turn, stock handling

costs, assessing the efficiency of certain marketing
operations.

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 External sources of
information
Government statistics

Trade associations (relationship)

Commercial (profitable) services

National and international institution

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 Tertiary Sources of
Information:
 contain information refined or distill and
collected from primary and secondary
sources of information

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Some of the tertiary sources are:
Directories
Directories are lists of names and addresses
arranged for reference purposes and are
generally organized in alphabetical order.

 yearbooks (annual)
Yearbooks are reference books which describe
the events pertaining to a particular year.

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 Categories of data
Quantitative data can be
measured.
 Sources include reports for decision making,
performance reports
 data capture forms,
and numeric results from survey
(investigation)
 and statistical (geometrical) research.

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Qualitative data :- is a record of thoughts,
observations,(explanation) opinions or words.

Qualitative data often comes from asking open-

ended questions

to which the answers are not limited by a set

of choices or a scale.

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Internal vs. external

The information you gather may come from internal or
external sources.

Internal:

those found within the organisation
E.g.
 annual reports, sales figures and employees.

External:

sources outside the organisation
such
 as statistical information, standards doc., or research
conducted ..

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 LO2 :

DATA COLLECTION
TECHNIQUES

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DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUE
A. DOCUMENT EXAMINATION
The examination of documents is
especially important to historians who investigate
patterns and trends from the past.

B. OBSERVATION
 You could interview those involved, or
 maybe even send out a questionnaire.

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Observation is the technique of obtaining
data.
 through direct contact with a persons or
group of persons.

the main focus of qualitative research is

naturalism.
researcher has to observe person or persons in
their natural state.

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Observation Techniques
Passive observer:
The best way to be not involved and keep you distance
from your subjects is to be a passive observer.
Participant Observation:
 As the name ‘participant’ suggests, the researcher
participates in the activities of the persons being
observed rather than being an observer.
Active Observer:
 Between being a passive observer and an
active participant, the research
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C. Interview
Interviewing is a technique of gathering
data from
 humans by asking them questions and

 getting them to react verbally. (orally)

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There are many different ways of conduct
(behaviour) interviews

Structured interviews
Semi-structured

Unstructured interviews

Face-to-face or personal interviews

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Structured interviews

use an interview schedule that is similar to the
survey (investigation) questionnaire

Semi-structured interviews

Semi-structured interviews consist of a list of

open-ended questions
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Three types of probe (investigate) commonly used by
the interviewer are:

Detail-oriented probe:-When did it happen

to you?

Elaboration probe: Can you give an example

Clarification probe:_Can you explain

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Unstructured (shape less) interviews-
aim to obtain in depth (strength) interviews of
persons interviewed

Face-to-face or personal interviews

are labour intensive but can be the best way of

collecting high quality data,

 especially when the subject matter is very sensitive,

if the questions are very complex or if the interview

is likely to be lengthy .

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FOCUS GROUP
Focus groups were originally called “focused
interviews” or "group depth interviews”

focus group is a group of people who are asked

about their attitudes and opinions about a
service,
 issue

, concept,
idea or product.

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 TRIANGULATION OF METHODS

Triangulation

 isthe process of strengthening the findings obtained

from a qualitative in quiry by cross-checking
information.

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
There are three types of triangulation

Methods Triangulation

The use of multiple research methods to study a phenomenon
(experience)

Investigator (research) Triangulation

The use of multiple investigators (i.e. multiple researchers) in
collecting and interpreting the data
Theory Triangulation
The use of multiple theories and perspective (view point) to help

interpret (understand) and explain the data.

Triangulation is used in bring together different sources
of information to converge or conform to one
interpretation.
 

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 Survey (Examination)
Surveys can be divided into two broad categories: the
questionary and the interview.

Questionnaires
areusually paper-and-pencil instrument
(device) that the respondent completes.
Interviews
are completed by the interviewer based on

the respondent say.

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Types of Questions
Descriptive (expressive).
When a study is designed primarily to describe
what is going on or what exists.
Relational .

When a study is designed to look at the

relationships between two or more variables
Causal. (Fundamental, underline )

 Whena study is designed to determine whether

one or more variables
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SAMPLING 
 Indata collection, sampling is the selection of a group of
persons from a population with each person having an
equal chance of being selected.

there are two main reasons for selection of the sample

1.the researcher might select person or persons to
investigate because of efficiency or convenience (easy)

2. the researcher might want to select a sample based

on representativeness or a critical case or a typical
case.

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SAMPLING TECHNIQUES

Sampling Techniques in Qualitative Research

inform
A) What is purposive sampling?
Purposive sampling, one of the most common
sampling strategies, groups participants
according to preselected criteria .

Purposive sampling is therefore most

successful when data review and analysis .
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b) What is quota (share) sampling?
Quota sampling, sometimes considered a type of
purposive sampling, is also common.

How do purposive and quota sampling differ?

Purposive and quota sampling are similar
in that identify participants based on selected
criteria.
 quota sampling is more specific with respect to
sizes and proportions of subsamples.
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C) What is snowball (increasing) sampling?

A third type of sampling, snowballing – also

known as chain (sequence) referral sampling.
 is considered a type of purposive sampling.

 Inthis method, participants or informants with

who contact has already been made use their
social networks to refer the researcher .

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SKILLS REQUIRED OF THE RESEARCHER
In a qualitative study the investigator is the
primary instrument for gathering and
analysing data.

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identified the following skills required of qualitative
researchers:-
First:-as a qualitative researcher, you must have an
enormous tolerance for ambiguity
(uncertainty).

Second:- a qualitative researcher should be

sensitive(responsive)

Third:- the qualitative researcher should be able to

detect personal bias. (unfairness)

Fourth:-the qualitative researcher must also be a

good communicator.
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length of time spent (useless)in
collecting data.

The length of time spent (useless)in collecting can be

viewed from two angles:
Span (period)of Time – how long?. 2 week, 1

month, 3 months and so forth

Degree of Contact – The number of contact

hours the researcher spent with the person or
persons.
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 validity (strength)of qualitative
research
The shift in focus from a quantitative paradigm (idea) to
a qualitative paradigm in educational research .
Validityin qualitative research is defined as
whether the data is plausible (believable)

credible and reliable

 and can be defended when challenging.

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three types of validity that should be given attention
in qualitative research.

1. Descriptive (straightforward) Validity:


This is defined as the accuracy of the
behaviours,
 events, objects,

settings and others reported by the researcher

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2. Interpretive (understanding)Validity:
This is defined as the accuracy of interpretation
as to what happened in the minds of subjects .

3. Theoretical Validity:
 The is defined as the extent (amount) to which
the theoretical explanation developed .

 in congruent (similar) with the data and is

reliable and can be defended..
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External Validity of Qualitative
Research
External validity is defined as the extent to
which the findings of a study may be
generalised to another setting .

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the following terms while discussing the issue of
qualitative research findings:

Applicability: (comfortable) Can the study

be applied to another sample.

Context Dependent: Can the findings of a study

be generalised to another setting or context.

• Reliability (probability): What is the likelihood

of a particular product or event will occur given
similar conditions
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Enhancing (attractive)Internal Validity
of Qualitative Research
the following strategies enhance the internal validity of
their studies.
1) Triangulation :

This involves the cross-checking of information
from different dimensions.

2)Longer Period of Time:

Obviously, given the time and resources, researchers

would like to remain in the field as long as possible
collecting data .
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3)Member Checking:
To enhance internal validity, a researcher
could return to the subjects who were
interviewed and check .

4)Peer Review:
Discuss the interpretation and
conclusion of the findings with a peer.

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5)Low Inference Descriptors:
Inference descriptors are words or phrases used
to describe a collection of information

6)Negative Case Sampling:

To enhance internal validity, you could pick
(Select) cases that are different to the cases you
are studying.

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7)Reflexivity
One of the main issues with the validity of
qualitative research is the likelihood of the
researcher’s values creep (move stealthily)
into the interpretation of data.

8)Audit Trail:
Audit trail is the keeping of detailed and
accurate records of everything the
researcher did and of the data collected.

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LO 3: Ensure
analysis is
accurate and
complete
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Ensure analysis is accurate and
complete
identifying key information sources and
gathering data through formal processes.
This resource will help you to ensure analysis
is accurate and complete within an
information technology environment.

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 Analyse (investigate) when
collecting data
During an interview or workshop you may be
collecting and analysing data at the same time.
The follow-up questions are usually either probing
(interest) questions or classification questions

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Analysing data already
collected
Data collected from several interviews or data
collected from questionnaires need to be
aggregated (combine) and collated into
meaningful information.

The analysis technique involves identifying

similarities and disparities (difference) between
data.
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Organising and Summarising
Once you have classified data into meaningful
categories,

it should be documented in tables and
summarised in a paragraph.

 Often data in tables can be visually

represented through the use of charts.
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61
 Prioritising requirements
(supply)
Once you have classified data into categories,


you have completed the first stage of
analysis. (examination)We are interested
in business requirements.

The next stage is to rank the importance of

each requirement.

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 
di spl ay ar et ur ns p ol i cy


conduct transactions The system must

enable a "contact us" facility
(communication) over the

enable customers to check
Internet
delivery and production

display products on screen status


provide "about us"

provide an animation of information
the production process

display customer
satisfaction (agreement )

display a privacy policy testimonies
(acknowledgment)

link Internet sales to the
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inventory system
 con...
Provide user guide describe products
capture customer details
online Accept multiple
payment methods
have password protection
for a "members only" section

display correct pricing -

especially for customers
with discounts

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Considering (reflect on) available
resources

Once you have ranked and rated the

requirements by importance, you have

completed the second analysis stage

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  the third stage of analysis:
Capability (potential)analysis
In order to estimate (guess) the ease of realisation
(understanding), you need to know the following:

your capability
the capability of your client

the capability of your organisation

the capability of any other organisations that you may

incorporate into the project

the capability of the tools that will be used to develop the

solution for the client. 66
 Summarising business
requirements
The final stage is to estimate how many of
the requirements can be implemented
given the available time and money.
The requirements that you can achieve
become mandatory functional
requirements .

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 LO 4:
Submit analysis
and gain agreement
 
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 Report findings
Requirements Report is generally an informal

document that can be easily understood by the customer.

The purpose of the Requirements Report is to

communicate and confirm the requirements.

The next section describes the purpose of the

different sections of the report.

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 The requirements report
The following headings (title)may be used in a
Requirements Report:
Introduction

System description

Functional requirements

Non-functional requirements

Information domain

Project costs

Benefits

Other project specific topics

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Introduction
The introduction defines the purpose of the
document with a summary of the entire
document

System Description
This describes top-level functions of the
system and the system environment

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Functional Requirements
The functional requirements define
the services that the system provides.

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 Storyboards
A common technique for providing functional
information for websites to the client is to provide a
storyboard.

 Storyboards are a visual representation of what a

website interface is supposed to look like.

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Non-Functional Requirements
Non-functional requirements define any constraints within which
the current system operates.

Information domain
Information domain defines the data

 requirements of the system.

 ER diagrams,

Class diagrams

and Data Dictionaries are common techniques used to describe a

system’s data.
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Project Costs
Project costs defines estimated costs of the project
in terms of development and running costs

Benefits
defines the areas that the new system will improve

Other project specific topics

Other project specific topics defines any other
topics that may have an impact on the project.

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 END OF THE
PRESENTATION
thank you!!
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