Ｒesearch methods are of self-evident importance to linguistic studies． For pragmatic research，the choice of data and methods of collection are crucial． Collecting empirical studies published over the last decade in eight journals at home and two abroad， the present paper focuses on the types of data used and the methods of data collection in these articles． Through a detailed comparison，this paper probes into their similarities and differences in choice of data types，methods of data collection and the connection between the methods of data collection and research topics with a view to offering relevant suggestions to domestic researchers in terms of data choice and collection．