The four types of data collection are observational, experimental, simulation and derived.
Observational type is conducted through human observation, open-eyed surveys and the use of data collection instruments.
Experimental data collection is conducted in order to determine the relationship between two variables, for example, to what degree a new ointment reduces muscle fatigue in sports professionals.
Simulation data collection is a research technique in which you reproduce actual events under test conditions, for example, an F1 simulator used by formula one pilots to prepare for races.
Derived data collection is the process of pulling existing data from various sources. Researchers do this during the secondary data collection and document review stages. An example of this is aggregating data from a nationwide survey.