data analysis : kinds of data Flashcards
define qualitative data
data that is expressed in words and non-numerical
what may qualitative data be converted into and why ?
into numerical data for analysis
define quantitative data
data that can be counted, usually given as numbers
define primary data
information that has been obtained first hand by the researcher for the purpose of a research project
in psychology where would primary data typically be gathered ?
directly from the participants as part of an experiments , (self-report or observation)
define secondary data
information that has been collected by someone else and so predates the current research project
in psychology what would secondary data include ?
the work of other psychologists or government statistics
define meta-analysis
a research method where the results of many studies on the same topic are combined and analyzed together
why is meta-analysis used ?
this helps researchers get a clearer overall picture of the findings by looking at a large amount of data
give an example of meta-analysis
if many studies have looked at the effectiveness of therapy for depression, a meta-analysis would combine their results to find out how effective therapy is overall
what may qualitative data take the form of ?
written description of the thoughts,feelings and opinions of participants
give an examples of qualiative data
- a transcript from an interview
- an extract from a diary
- notes recorded within a counselling session
where might one collect qualitative data ?
from interviews or unstructured observation
what do quantitative data collection techniques usually gather?
numerical data in the form of individual scores from participants
give an example of quantitative data collection techniques ?
- number of words a person was able to recall in a memory experiment
what is quantitative data open to do ?
being analysed statistically
what can quantitative data be converted into ?
graphs,charts etc..
what is the significant overlap between quantitative data and qualitative data ?
researchers collecting quantitative data as part of an experiment may often interview participants as a way of gaining more qualitative insight into their experience of the investigation
what is the number of ways of doing ?
qualitative information can be converted into numerical data
what is secondary data often referred as ?
desk research
what does statisitical data mean?
to information that is collected, measured, and analyzed using numbers
an example of statistical data
if you surveyed 100 people about how many hours they sleep each night, the numbers you collect (e.g., 7 hours, 8 hours, etc.) are statistical data.
give a strength of meta-analysis ?
view data with much more confidence and results can be generalised across much larger populations
a limitation of meta-analysis (3) (PPB)
- prone publication bias sometimes referred to as file-drawer problem
–> researchers may not select all the relevant studies - may leave out those studies with negative and non-significant results
–> therefore the data will be biased because it only represents some of the relevant data and incorrect conclusions are drawin
