Category: Week 03

                A skill that an effective writer must possess is data gathering. For a beginner, this is a challenging task to do especially if it is an interview with an authority.

                I, together with John Vincent Balawen and Evangeline Ortiz, were tasked to gather data on community directories of Brgy. Malinta. This was our first field experience as Team Sinag and I thought that this activity would be difficult for us since we were beginners. Fortunately, we were able to finish our task smoothly and successfully.

 From our experience, here are some tips to remember:

1. Be prepared

Make that you have all the things that are needed in conducting the interview. Essential files such as letter and necessary tools like audio recorder, pen and paper must be brought to take down important informations.  Moreover, one must be mentally and physically prepared to avoid unexpected situations.

2. Be confident

One must have confidence to approach the authorities and take initiative to ask questions. Being confident will help the interviewer to loosen up and avoid awkwardness that might make him/her look unprofessional. 

3. Be respectful

Over-confidence is a big no-no. The interviewer must approach the interviewee in a confident yet friendly manner considering the authority they have. Take note that the person you will talk to will provide significant informations for your output so make sure that you will not be rude in any way.

The 3 key things to remember when gathering data

Gathering data can be a scary and a hassle, especially when you aren’t familiar with the place or destination you are going to. We were recently tasked to gather data in barangay timugan, a place where me and my group mates have never been to before. I believe these 3 things are what made our experience smoother in the data gathering process.

Be prepared

Gathering data is tedious but important process in writing any type of paper. It is important to always have a certain flow and plan to follow whenever you decide to gather data. From the way to get to the destination, to the questions you will ask , being prepared allows you to save the most time and resources.

Have a backup plan to your backup plans.

As anything in life, data gathering can be very unexpected. Sometimes things just naturally fall into place, the other times it could seem as if the world is going against you. Having plans b,c, and d will help greatly whenever the latter happens. Back when i was the Council president in my former school I realized that whenever you expect things to go your way, it most likely wont. Which is why backup plans are a must when gathering data.

Be positive and polite

The mindset you have usually dictates the outcome of your plans, whenever you gather data, expect the worst but hope for the best. When things don’t work out, you should always look at the brighter possible alternatives that may happen. Aside from being positive, being polite to those around you will greatly increase your chances of success. Asking for directions and help is a must whenever you go to places you are unfamiliar with. Being polite helps because you usually get better answers and are usually entertained more.

These 3 things are what helped me and my group during our data gathering process, hopefully in the future you too will be able to use these tips whenever you go on your first data adventure.

Field works are exciting and challenging at the same time. You never know what kind of people you’re going to interact with. Thankfully, the Barangay Officials of Brgy. Baybayin are very welcoming and accommodating. They didn’t hesitate to give us the information that we needed. It also became efficient for us because they already have a copy of the significant persons in their barangay as well as their contact numbers.

Some tips I can give you on gathering data are the following:

1. Be prepared

We researched a little background about Barangay Bayabayin so that we will be more knowledgeable regarding our task . Before meeting the interviewee, we first list down on our notebooks the objectives or the data that are needed to be gathered. We also picked the most convenient time to conduct the data gathering procedure. Because it’s our first time going to the place and we have no idea how to go there, we used google to search for directions.

2. Speak and act with utmost respect

Whoever it is that we will be talking to, regardless of position or title, it is a default to show respect and act politely towards them. As a student writer, we don’t want to stain the reputation of the university by showing undesired behavior. Upon entering the Brgy. Hall of Brgy. Baybayin, we smiled and greeted them properly. We introduced ourselves as well as our purpose of going there. We made sure to use “po” and “opo” to imply politeness. When the interview is finished, we sincerely thank them for their time.

3. Communicate effectively

It is important to speak clearly in a way that is audible to your interviewees. We used the Filipino language because it is the language that can be easily understood by them. When asking questions, we made direct eye contact with the interviewee. We also tried to make our interview conversational and smooth-flowing so that the interviewee will feel comfortable and at ease in answering the questions. We listened attentively to their answers.

4. Bring necessary tools

Mobile phone, pen and paper are tools that will lessen the burden of gathering data. Upon interviewing, you can record the interview but make sure to ask permission to the interviewee first. While the conversation is flowing, you can take down important notes using a pen and a paper. And since this is a field work and you are usually sent to far places, it is also advisable to bring umbrella in case the weather starts to rain.

“The media writer’s quality of work depends greatly on the quality and to a certain extent, the quantity of sources he/she was able to find, cultivate and use.” Gathering data is an important process since the information gathered makes up the body and substance of our work. But information doesn’t necessarily fall from above or pop out from nowhere, we often need to gather them, that was exactly what we did in our interview with the officials from Barangay Bambang.

What method of data gathering did the group employ/use the most? Why?

Our group gathered the data we needed through interviewing. Even if the data wasn’t opinionated, it wasn’t available to the audience easily since it is not displayed publicly. With this, we had to ask the members of the barangay for the necessary information, thus conducting the interview.

Based on what you learned from this activity, give at least three (3) tips on data gathering that you can share with the next batch of BSDC freshmen.

1. Always come prepared, bring all the necessary collection of data tools like your mobile phones, pen, paper, earphones, etc. Sometimes you won’t know what kind of interview you will conduct; your interviewee might be comfortable with a specific type of interview so its best that you come prepared.
2. Start planning how you would get your data before you start collecting it. In our case, we didn’t know where Brgy. Bambang is situated, we had to get lost first before we got there. This is not time-efficient and practical, to prevent this, know your directions and how to get there.
3. Know your data, before you start getting it. You have to know what to ask, who to ask, and how to ask. This will allow your interviewees to have a good impression of you, your façade would let them know that you’re a legitimate and trust-worthy interviewer.

A media writer needs to have a network of connections they can reach out so that in times of need they can easily contact them, this is one of the first things we learned in our development communication classes, and related to that is the assignment our professor gave us of creating a Los Baños Community Directory.

My groupmates and I were assigned to the second and third floors of the Municipal Hall, and if I said that that hadn’t intimidated me, I would be lying. While I was relieved that we wouldn’t be travelling so far from the university, the sanctity that came with a government building was daunting.

Our first visit to the Municipal Hall had been on a Saturday, it was a weekend, and to the surprise of no one: empty (except for the group of people who had been practicing what looked like a dance routine at the ground floor). The purpose of our visit had been to scope out the building and its location, so that when we finally came to gather data, we wouldn’t have to add navigation to our list of worries.

I’ve interviewed people before, but those people had just been my classmates, and at most a teacher; nowhere near as authoritative as anyone I was expecting to meet during the interview. And so, when the day finally came, I was decidedly nervous, but also a little excited. The fact that we were already doing field work only three weeks into the academic year was exhilarating and having my groupmates with me soothed my nerves.

It was a Monday when we finally set out for the Municipal Hall, the sun was high in the sky, but we couldn’t let the heat shake us since we were running against the clock. The workday would end at 5PM, and it was already afternoon. Fully thinking that we had prepared enough, we made our way to the second floor and intended to start gathering data only to be faced with an immovable road block: unless we had a letter addressed to the mayor that had been signed by us and our professor, and received by his office, we wouldn’t be able to start anything whatsoever. And so, there we were, letter-less and with even less time than before. We did the only thing we could think of and hurried back to UP.

We arrived back at the CDC building breathless and sweaty, but none of that mattered as I immediately wrote up the letter we needed. By some stroke of luck, one of my groupmates had brought his laptop and saved us some time. When the letters had been printed and signed, we were once more on the way back to the Municipal Hall, at that point the sun no longer bore down on us with such intensity, but we couldn’t find it within ourselves to be relieved; it only meant that we were almost out of time.

Our challenges didn’t end there; however, after our letter was received by the mayor’s office and was brought up to the public information office, the head allowed us to gather data on one condition: we had to collect the information of every office in the building and give them a copy so they could create a directory as well. Exhausted, and justly intimidated, my groupmates and I undertook the assignment.

I’m convinced that nothing will ever come close to the feeling of exiting the last office in the Municipal Hall, knowing that we had finished our task right on time. At that point my energy had been completely drained, spent on walking from office to office, up and down stairs, and putting on airs of pleasantry. The only thing that fueled me as we went back the public information office to present our accomplishment was a mixture of joy and relief that came with knowing that all our effort had not been wasted. Not only did we accomplish both our assignments, we were also exposed to the very real reality of interviews. They won’t always go smoothly, and at the end of the day you must be able to work through whatever gets in your way because that is your job as the interviewee. And also always, always bring a letter with you.

Data gathering is not a problem for me anymore, I’ve long done this as a campus journalist and broadcaster. It is the most essential part of a news, the blood of the news that keeps it true and alive.

We gathered data on Barangay Bayog by going to the Barangay Hall and getting all the necessary information. To do this we had to briefly interview the authorities in the building. This was the most effective method because it was more efficient and less time consuming.

Because we, media writers, are the ones in need, we must be the careful of how we act when gathering data.

Here are some tips to remember when gather data:

1. Remember the 3P’s
   Politeness, patience, and perseverance must be observed so that you’ll be able to gather what you need. Remember that when working with other people, good attitude is a must!
   
2. Always bring a letter when asking for data
   Not everyone will entertain your data request if you do not have a letter. So you must prepare a letter otherwise your effort of going to the office could go to waste.
   
3. One source can’t provide all the information
   Look for other places to get data, don’t stick to one source. It is good if one source can provide all the information, but other sources might be able to provide better ones.

Data Gathering of Less Than 3

During the activity, none of us had any clue whatsoever on where to start as we were not native to this municipality. Initially, we went to Batong Malake’s Barangay Hall to ask for any prerequisites for the data gathering we were about to undertake. We were told to provide a formal letter of request before we were to be accommodated. The following day, we complied with the requirements and came back with a letter.

Some of those are tips that we may be able to incorporate with our future endeavors. Effective communication with due respect is necessary to gain primary data. Likewise, having a pleasing personality builds an effective rapport with the audience or resource person, it creates a friendly and welcoming ambiance. Moreover, it sets the mood of the conversation. Then comes versatility which ensures the flexible flow of any conversation as well as the facet of one’s ability to adapt to what needs to be done or what needs to be complied to. Another tip would be on learning how to chip in some questions and information that would deepen the conversation which would later bring out some data that you may need.

As our group, Dara and the Explorers, ventured out to find Lalakay’s Barangay Hall we have gained experiences that helped us realized how to gather data efficiently. Here are some insights that can help in gathering essential information:

Know where to go. Even though I am a resident of Los Baños, I am not very familiar with the Brgy. Lalakay since I rarely go out of my house. Knowing where to go before actually going to the place can save a lot of time and effort in finding the place where information will be gathered from.

Be prepared. When going to public offices, such as the barangay, it is very important that one has all the essentials because it shows that you are well-prepared. Essential things include an identification card and a request letter. Some people do not require us to bring request letters but when our group entered the barangay hall, we were told that we should have brought a request letter and it would be better to contact them beforehand. Being prepared shows that you are being considerate of their time and that is very important because you are the ones that needs something from them.

Be respectful. Asking for information without prior notice can be a little disrespectful to the people in the barangay since they are also working. It can be seen as rude to just barge in thus we have to adjust to them and be patient in acquiring information.

Gathering data can be quite a hard task especially if you do not know how to appropriately acquire information. Experiencing data gathering has added a lot to my knowledge on how to become a more efficient media writer and I hope to improve my skills in data gathering.