Quantitative secondary data

Question 1

secondary data

Answer 1

Secondary data analysis is the use of data that was collected by someone else for some other purpose. e.g. official statistics, diaries.

Question 2

OCS secondary data advantages and disadvantages

Answer 2

.Advantages of official statistics
•Often use a wide sample (e.g. census) so could be seen as representative
•They can cover a large time span, providing you with data from a range of different decades or centuries
•They allow you to compare various groups, cultures or nationalities easily, e.g. suicide rates in different countries

Disadvantages of official statistics
•Issues with bias – The statistics are often produced by the state; this can lead to the data being bias. For example, a government might not want to show high unemployment levels so they could ensure the research doesn’t find these high results.
•These statistics aren’t produced with sociological research in mind, so they often aren’t suitable.

Question 3

Questionnaires

Answer 3

Quantitative secondary data from questionnaires within sociological research is generally regarded as numerical data. This data allows the researchers to establish patterns and trends and look for correlations between variables. They are interested in the objective understanding of those being researched using mainly factual evidence, in a similar way to scientific approaches. Quantitative secondary data from questionnaires tends to be low in validity and high in reliability. It is favoured by positivists. It is often combined by realist approaches with other methods, including qualitative

Question 4

Secondary data limitations

Answer 4

Practical • You may have trouble accessing some research
Ethical • You have no idea of how ethical the original research project was—could bring up ‘old ghosts’
Reliability • You have no control over how reliable the research is
Validity • You may be unaware of factors that may have affected how valid the information is e.g. leading questions etc.
Representativeness • You have had no control over sample size—may not be representative—would you know?

Question 5

Secondary data advantages

Answer 5

Practical
• Cheap
• Easily available
• Quick
Ethical
• No ethical concerns for participants as research already exists