Definition
Data collection
Data collection is a planned way to gather observations, measurements, counts, or answers.
What it means
Before collecting, decide the question and what will count as data. Then use the same method each time so the records can be compared. Collection ends when the observations or responses are recorded; explaining what they mean is analysis.
Remember it
Question, plan, record: know what you need, gather it the same way, write it down.
Example
To find how busy a crossing is, watch for 10 minutes and add one tally each time a bicycle passes. The time window, the object counted, and the tally rule are all part of the collection plan.
Watch for
A pile of numbers with no known source or method is not a well-described data collection.
Common mix-up
Collecting data gathers the evidence; displaying or analysing data happens afterward.
Exact meaning
Data collection is the planned process of obtaining data by observing, measuring, counting, recording existing information, or asking questions, with a clear decision about what to gather, from whom or what, and how.