Primary and Secondary Data Research methods Flashcards
What is Primary Data?
Information generated by the researcher for their own purposes. It includes data produced by questionaries, interviews and observations.
What is Secondary Data?
Refers to data that already exists, created by somebody other than the researcher. Includes data from official statistics, government reports, diaries, newspapers, films and recorded music.
What are the advantages of Primary Data?
Sociologists can gather precise information they need to test hypothesis
Authentic and reliability
Control over data quality
Flexibility in data collection
What are the disadvantages of Primary Data?
Costly
Time consuming
Small sample
What are the advantages of Secondary Data?
Quick
Cheap
Can get data from a wider sample than just one researcher can gather
What are the disadvantages of Secondary Data?
The precise information the sociologist wants might not be available
Limited control over data quality
Risk of bias
Potential for outdated information