Primary and Secondary Data Flashcards
What is primary data?
Information collected first hand by the researchers e.g. interview the researcher conducts themselves
What is a strength of primary data in terms of validity?
Data is used for intended purpose so more likely to be relevant
Can be qualitative and quantitative
What is a strength of primary data in terms of ethics?
Researcher(s) are in contact with their participants and can be sensitive to any issues that arise, such as distress of a participant
What is a weakness of primary data in terms of generalisability?
Primary data sets are often quite small so may be harder to draw conclusions compared to meta-analysis of secondary sources
What is a weakness of primary data in terms of ethics?
Primary data collection is more likely to exploit potential participants than secondary
What is a weakness of primary data in terms of validity?
There may be a danger of personal bias on the part of the researcher which could affect the data collection
What is secondary data?
Data that has already been gathered / already exists e.g. previously published academic work
What is a practical strength of secondary data?
Quicker than primary data
Less expensive as costs involved in producing research do not have to be incurred
What is a weakness of secondary data in terms of validity?
Data may have been collected some time ago so responses may have changed as views in society are constantly changing - low temporal validity