Official Statistics

Question 1

Official Statistics

Answer 1

Official statistics are quantitative data collected by government bodies. This method is favoured by positivists because data is quick, cheap and easy to access, and it covers a wide range of social issues.

Question 2

Official Statistics (advantages)

Answer 2

Practical - cheap, easy to obtain and easy to access. For example, through the Office of National Statistic’s website.

Collected at regular interviews, so you can compare trends over time. For example, the census is completed every 10 years.

Representative - official statistics often cover large groups of people. For example, crime statistics are compiled by police across the entire country.

Question 3

Official Statistics (disadvantages)

Answer 3

The government collects these statistics for its own benefit, so they may not cover what sociologists specifically want to study.

Definitions may be different. For example, what the government considers ‘poverty may not be the same as a sociologist.