Final answer:
A questionnaire is a commonly used tool to facilitate data collection, often used in surveys to collect quantitative data that can be easily analyzed statistically. Surveys provide anonymity and ease of data collection, exemplified by the U.S. Census. Additionally, tools that assist with interviewing, organization, and synthesis are important in the research process.
Step-by-step explanation:
A tool commonly used to facilitate data collection is the questionnaire. This instrument allows researchers to gather quantitative data by having subjects answer a series of structured questions, such as closed-ended ones which may be yes-or-no or multiple-choice.
The data collected through questionnaires is numerical, allowing for easy tabulation and statistical analysis, such as counting the frequency of certain responses and converting them into percentages.
The survey, of which questionnaires are a part, is a widely used method in scientific research. It enables the collection of data on behaviors and opinions while providing a certain level of anonymity to participants, encouraging honest and personal responses.
An example of a large-scale survey is the U.S. Census, which collects demographic data from U.S. residents.
Other tools and resources like online research logs, software subscriptions such as Todoist or EndNote, or templates can be helpful in organizing and tracking the gathered data.
Whether one is engaging in fieldwork or using secondary sources, tools that aid in interviewing, note-taking, organization, paraphrasing, summarizing, and synthesizing information are crucial in the methodology of social science research.