Secondary data

Question 1

problems with official statistics

Answer 1

• problem with definitions e.g. unemployment rate
• problems with reporting and recording e.g. crime
• reflect political agendas
• often collected by researchers with little experience of using existing data sets

Question 2

why is existing data a good thing?

Answer 2

• readily available=saves time and money
• better coverage and scope than i could collect
• collected by professional gives credibility

Question 3

where can i find secondary data?

Answer 3

• office of National Statistics
• gap minder (bubble charts)
• UK data archive e.g. citizenship survey, English housing survey

Question 4

population data defintion

Answer 4

every case you want to find out about e.g. census

Question 5

administrative data definition

Answer 5

data that was collected without the intention of research e.g. education, marriages

Question 6

problem with administrative data

Answer 6

may be confidential at an individual level

Question 7

sample data definition

Answer 7

selection of cases from the population, ideally representative of that population

Question 8

individual level data definition and example

Answer 8

data available on each case you are interested in e.g. marks each student received in a test . gives the maximum level of detail

Question 9

aggregate data defintion and example

Answer 9

summary of the characteristics of individual data e.g. the scores a year group received in their gcse’s exams, 25 got an A, 6 got B etc

Question 10

when is population data available (3)

Answer 10

1) only interested in a small number of cases that are easy to contact e.g. physical students at UOL
2) relevant data has been collected in some kind of census
3) you have access to administrative data (e.g. for health or education)

Question 11

higher levels of aggregate data

Answer 11

cases are put into a smaller number of larger groups

Question 12

lower levels of aggregate data

Answer 12

cases are put into a larger number of smaller groups

Question 13

the more you summarise your data..

Answer 13

the higher the levels of aggregation

Question 14

cross-sectional data defintion and example

Answer 14

snapshot of a person/group at a particular point in time. e.g. A level results in 2011

Question 15

repeated cross-sectional data definition and example

Answer 15

similar to cross sectional data but carry out the same study at a different point in time, showing historical change . e.g. a level results between 2001-2011

Question 16

longitudinal data defintion and example

Answer 16

data measured over time showing biographical change e.g. academic attainment of a student over the course of their undergraduate degree

Question 17

uses of secondary data

Answer 17

• to formulate research questions
• contextualise data
• principle data source
• comparative data source
• help with sample design

Question 18

limitations of secondary data

Answer 18

• might not be specific to your investigation
• don’t know what conditions it was collected in
• not always compatible/comparable
• data is often aggregated (=no individual level, but this can be a good thing)