Secondary sources of data Flashcards
What types of secondary data do sociologists use?
Official statistics Reports Newspapers Journals Art Other findings
What is a literature search?
Looking at background research for your topic. This may involve a thorough search for all published material on a topic.
What is a meta-analysis?
A study which combines the findings of different studies to produce a new set of data.
What are the reasons a sociologist might use secondary sources of data?
+ Quick and convenient
+ Can be large scale and reliable
+ There is no point repeating research
+ Might be a good starting point/ background for new research
What kinds of official statistics might a sociologist use?
Crime rates Hours of domestic labour Achievement in education Gender differences Ethnic differences Class differences
What is a census?
When you survey every member of the population
What is the positivist view of official statistics?
They look upon them favourably as they believe sociology should be studied in a scientific manner and official statistics are reliable, hard facts that are objective and not open to interpretation.
What is the interpretivist view of official statistics?
They think they are over-simplified and cannot be solely relied upon to explain sociology as we do not behave as atoms do in science but are far more complex.
What is the radical view of official statistics?
The radical (e.g. Marxist and feminist) view of official statistics is that they serve the interests of powerful groups (e.g. the bourgeoisie and the patriarchy), and data is only seriously collected on things that will not harm their interests. Essentially, official statistics are not to be trusted.
Why might sociologists use historical sources (e.g. paintings, diaries, parish records) as data?
Because they can be insightful into an era we are no longer able to access. The information obtained can be used to compare to society today to see how it has changed.
What are the problems of using historical sources as data?
- they may not be specific to what is being studied
- they may be open to interpretation e.g. paintings
- a sociologist may have to look through many things can be time consuming
- they can express opinions rather than facts and say controversial things to one another
- they might represent ideal society rather than real society
Why might sociologists use private documents (e.g. diary entries, photos, letters etc.) as data?
- they have good validity as they are more likely to express an individual’s real thoughts and beliefs
- they can provide detail and might show insight into a particular topic
What are the problems of using private documents as data?
- ethical issues
- specific to one person or a certain type of person, e.g. there was a time when photos were reserved for the middle-class
Why might sociologists use the mass media as a secondary data source?
- to compare how political agendas have changed
- they can see the values being transmitted to society
- they can be insightful into laws or views on certain topics and how they may have changed e.g. divorce
What are the strengths and weaknesses of content analysis?
+ It is a reliable way to analyse qualitative data as the coding units are not open to interpretation and so are applied in the same way over time and with different researchers
+ It is an easy technique to use and is not too time consuming
+ It allows a statistical analysis to be conducted if required as there is usually quantitative data as a result of the procedure
- Causality cannot be established as it merely describes the data
- As it only describes the data it cannot extract any deeper meaning or explanation for the data patterns arising.
