Quantitative Methods - Sources of Data Flashcards
How may primary data be obtained?
Scientific investigation or research
Observation
Discussion
Questionnaires and market research
What are the types of analysis?
Fundamental, technical and quantitative analysis
What is primary data?
Collection or generation of new data
What are two key characteristics of primary data?
It is both time consuming and expensive to produce
What is secondary data?
Data gained through a source
What is important about secondary data?
It is readily available and relatively low cost
Where is secondary data available (what mediums)
In written publications and on computer databases
What are some frequently used sources of published/written secondary data?
Office for national statistics - provides economic, financial, social and employment data
Bank of England quarterly bulletin - show interest rates, inflation rates etc
Federal reserve bulletin - similar info to BOE produced monthly
IMF’s international financial statistics
Bank for international settlement published data regarding international banking cash flows
World bank and the Organisation for Economic co-operation and development
What are some computerised sources of secondary data?
Datastream (part of Thompson Reuters) and Bloomberg provide historical data regarding securities and a range of other economic variables
Extel (part of Thompson Reuters) provides summarised data and stats such as P/E ratios obtained from company accounts
What is a population?
All members of a specifically defined group e.g. All FTSE 100 companies or everyone of voting age living in London
What is the primary reason sample are used more than populations?
Samples are much cheaper
What is a sample?
A subset of the full population e.g the CPI uses a sample even though it is taken to be representative of all goods
What is important about choosing a sample?
As we are drawing conclusions about the full population then the sample must be representative of the full population. Great care is therefore needed in the selection and size of the sample
What are the key sampling methods?
Random Non-random Quota sampling (non-random) Panelling Postal or Telephone Surveys (this is non random even though it try's to be random)
What are the two types of samples?
Random
Non random
What is random sampling?
Where every item in the population has an equal chance of being selected.
What is important about random sampling?
If a sample is large enough it should be representative of the population. Indeed the margin for error can be statistically evaluated when such a technique is used correctly.
It is hard to achieve a purely random sample e.g. a survey conducted in a city centre would probably exclude the possibility of obtaining the views of a substantial part of the population. Therefore this is not a pure random sample
What is non random sampling?
A sample selection on a basis that will, to a degree, involve and element of judgement
What is Panelling?
A hopefully representative sample is selected to provide continuous info over a period of time. TV figures are obtained this way. A panel of individuals report on their viewing habits - TV companies don’t know what everyone is watching all the time!