Choosing a Research Method Flashcards
What is primary data?
Data collected by sociologists themselves for their own purposes (‘first hand’)
What is secondary data?
Data collected by other sociologists. Government department, official bodies or individuals.
What are examples of primary data?
- Questionnaires
- Interviews
- Observations
- Experiments
What are examples of secondary data?
- Documents (newspapers)
- Official statistics (league tables)
What are advantages of primary data?
- Can be specific to hypothesis you’re trying to prove
- More trustworthy
What are disadvantages of primary data?
More time and money is needed (less practical)
What are advantages of secondary data?
- Easier to obtain
- Less time and money needed (practical)
- Official statistics are more representative (birth rates)
What are disadvantages of secondary data?
- Data may be outdated
- Less specific to your research
What is qualitative data?
- Types of data that aren’t in the form of numbers
- Include written sources e.g. diaries and newspapers
What is quantitative data?
- Data in a numerical form
- Include statistics, polls and surveys
What is an advantage of qualitative data?
Provides a rich insight into a person’s views or feelings
What is a disadvantage of qualitative data?
Hard to compare and analysis can be time consuming
What is an advantage of quantitative data?
Can spot trends and compare data sets over time
What is a disadvantage of quantitative data?
It doesn’t provide an insight into people’s views
What is triangulation?
Where both qualitative and quantitative methods are used to counteract the limits of each method
