What are indirect and direct methods of data collection?
Indirect methods include gathering information by talking to, or interviewing, those individuals who know the student best. The information is secondhand in that it is filtered through the interviewees, including the student, or is contained in written records. This is important to remember when interpreting interview data. Examples include record review (attendance, cumulative file, health, discipline, report cards, previous evaluations and interventions), permanent products (work samples, test papers, projects), and interviews. Direct methods involve observing the student with the problem behavior in typical daily activities and routines. Observations are only snapshots of the settings and behaviors, and students may be aware they are being observed. They may be on their best behavior or may show-off for this new audience. Data from observations should be verified, as observations do not stand alone. • Are there any other decisions to be made prior to collecting data? It may be impor
