The main purpose of gathering information may be practically for knowledge sake, or for proffering solution to problems which may have hitherto seemed insoluble. There are several reasons for why people gather information, and given today’s pace in terms of information technology, the need for new data is daily growing at a speed of light just new conditions are appearing.
Oftentimes, the major objective behind the act of gathering information is to decide what the information requirements of an organization or users will be. Information gathering strategy should be evolved by the analyst to gather information.
Importance of Gathering Information
We get information for professional purposes. One of these is to get catch info’s that will efficiently problem-solving during the course of our decision-making process. That it why it is best to gather necessary information that is directly related to the problem when making good decisions.
Doing this will help you to better understand what needs to be done in solving the problem, and will also help to generate ideas for a possible solution.
However, let us look at why or the main purpose of gathering information outlined below:
To Identify the End-User’s Wants or Needs
The information system designed for an organization must meet the requirements of the end-users of the organization. To obtain what end users expect from the information system the designer must gain complete knowledge of the organization’s working.
It is important for the student to know the information-gathering techniques so that no information is overlooked and the nature and functions of an organization are clearly understood. The main purpose of gathering information is to determine the information requirements of an organization or users.
Information gathering strategy should be evolved by the analyst to gather information in order to better the company or organization.
Read Also: Information Needs in an Organization
To Organize Advertising Campaign
One of the major purposes to gather information is specifically to the available data garnered to business’ advantage. In the sense that organizations may be able to manage business growth. You’d focus on acquiring details about the effectiveness of the machine – perhaps even operating the equipment to get a feel for the product.
Before any advert can be placed, it is important that the need of the public is first identified. This will definitely give the campaigners the leverage that allows them penetrate into the minds of the people and thereby enhancing deep-rooted conviction.
For News Report
One of the main purposes of gathering information is to make or create news or build news report. This is especially the case in media houses where information is commensurate to the air humans breathe to survive. There are various examples of things you will want to get information on so as to maintain the business relevance of your brand.
News men and women are like information hunters. You’d want to learn about the effect of the equipment on street cleaning in the city, on the firm’s profitability, or the bidding process that resulted in the selection of this particular equipment.
For Protection or Rights
Getting information on an ongoing basis can help an organization or a person show that it has met its duty to protect and uphold human rights, or about whether it deserves protection. A failure to gather information does not, in and of itself, form the basis of rights protection.
However, if an application alleging discrimination is made against an organization, not collecting data may factor into the decision of whether an organization has met its duty to make sure it is not in violation of the Code. Data collection and analysis have figured prominently in public interest remedies sought in recent years.
Methods of Getting Information
In addition to the main purpose of gathering information, we have to also look into the methods or ways of getting or by which we can get the information that we need as and when due:
One-on-One Interviews
The most common technique for gathering information is to sit down with the clients and ask them what they need. The discussion should be planned out ahead of time based on the type of requirements you’re looking for. There are many good ways to plan the interview, but generally you want to ask open-ended questions to get the interviewee to start talking and then ask probing questions to uncover requirements.
Prototyping
Prototyping is a relatively modern technique for gathering information. In this approach, you gather preliminary requirements that you use to build an initial version of the solution a prototype. You show this to the client, who then gives you additional requirements.
You change the application and cycle around with the client again. This repetitive process continues until the product meets the critical mass of business needs or for an agreed number of iterations.
Following People Around
This technique is especially helpful when gathering information on current processes. You may find, for instance, that some people have their work routine down to such a habit that they have a hard time explaining what they do or why.
You may need to watch them perform their job before you can understand the entire picture. In some cases, you might also want to participate in the actual work process to get a hands-on feel for how the business function works today.
Group Interviews
Group interviews are similar to the one-on-one interview, except that more than one person is being interviewed – usually two to four. These interviews work well when everyone is at the same level or has the same role.
Group interviews require more preparation and more formality to get the information you want from all the participants. You can uncover a richer set of requirements in a shorter period of time if you can keep the group focused.
Questionnaires
Questionnaires are much more informal, and they are good tools to gather requirements from stakeholders in remote locations or those who will have only minor input into the overall requirements. Questionnaires can also be used when you have to gather input from dozens, hundreds, or thousands of people.
Brainstorming
In this type of project, simple brainstorming may be the starting point. The appropriate subject matter experts get into a room and start creatively brainstorming what the solution might look like. After all the ideas are generated, the participants prioritize the ones they think are the best for this solution. The resulting consensus of best ideas is used for the initial requirements.
