Data Flashcards
What is quantitative data?
Numerical data
What is qualitative data?
Data obtained from unstructured interviews/ observations (non-numerical)
Name the strengths of quantitative data.
- Allows for a broader study
- Can allow for greater objectivity and accuracy of results
- The research can be replicated - high reliability
Name the weaknesses of quantitative data.
- Results are limited as results are only numerical
- Lacks ecological validity
- Pre set answers will not necessarily reflect people’s true feelings
Name the strengths of qualitative data.
Provides depth and detail
Creates openness
Simulates people’s individual experiences
Attempts for avoid pre judgement
Name the weaknesses of qualitative data.
Usually fewer people studied - validity is compromised
Less easy to generalise
Difficult to make comparisons
Open to investigator effects
What is primary data?
Data collected by a researcher from the participants in the investigation: first-hand
What is secondary data?
Data that has already been gathered by someone else, other than the researcher
What is a meta-analysis?
A form on research that uses secondary data - gathers data from a large number of studies investigating the same thing
What are the strengths of primary data?
Can be gathered to fit the aims of the investigation
More accurate to what the investigator intends to measure
What are the weaknesses of primary data?
It requires time and effort from the researcher
It requires considerate planning, preparations and resources
What are the strengths of secondary data?
Inexpensive and easily accessible
Requires minimal effort
What are the weaknesses of secondary data?
Substantial variation in the quality and accuracy
The content of the data may not exactly match the researchers purpose
What are the strengths of meta-analysis?
Allows a researcher to view data with much more confidence
Results can be more easily generalised across larger populations
What are the limitations of meta-analysis?
Prone to publication bias
Often have biased conclusions as researchers may leave out negative results
What is the mean?
The average number of all values
Add up all values and divide by the amount of values
What is the median?
The middle value of a set of data
What is the mode?
The most common number in a set of data
What is standard deviation?
A measure of dispersion from a results central mean value
What is the range?
The difference between the highest and lowest value in a set of data
What are measures of central tendency?
Mean
Median
Mode
What are measures of dispersion?
Range
Standard deviation
What is continuous data?
Data that can be measured and has no fixed value (e.g height)
What is nominal data?
Data that can be separated into discrete categories and doesn’t overlap
What is raw data?
Data that hasn’t been processed for use
What is skewed data?
Where frequency data isn’t spread evenly
What does negatively skewed data look like?
Data is skewed to the left
Median is greater than mean
What does positively skewed data look like?
Data is skewed to the right
Mean is greater than median
What does normal (no skew) data look like?
Graph is perfectly symmetrical
The mean is at the peak of the graph
The mean, median and mode are the same score
What are the strengths and weaknesses of using the mean?
Strengths: includes all data so is more representative
Weaknesses: distorted by extreme scores
What are the strengths and weaknesses of using the median?
Strengths: won’t be affected by extreme scores
Weaknesses: may not still tell us what the most typical or frequent score is
What are the strengths and weaknesses of using the mode?
Strengths: unaffected by extreme scores
Weaknesses: can be effected dramatically by the change in one score
When can the range be used as a measure of dispersion?
When you wish to make a basic measure of the variation within the data and the data is consistent
What can standard deviation be used as a measure of dispersion?
When you wish to make a very sensitive measure of dispersion
What is inferential statistic?
Analysing data using statistical tests to allow researchers to conclude if a hypothesis is supported by its results
