Types of Data Flashcards
What’s qualitative data?
Data which is displayed in words and is non-numerical
+/- qualitative
+rich and depth detail
+allows ppts to greater develop their opinion hence greater external validity
+more meaningful insight into the ppts views
-difficult to analyse
-difficult to make comparisons with other data
-researcher bias presented as conclusions rely on the subjective interpretations of the researcher
What’s quantitative data?
Data that’s displayed numerically
+/- quantitative
+can be analysed statistically so can be converted to graphs or charts
+east to make comparisons with other data
-lack of depth and detail
-no meaningful insight into ppts
-ppts aren’t able to develop their ideas
What’s primary data?
When info is obtained it’s first hand by the researcher
+/- primary data
+targets the exact info the researcher needs
-more time and effort
+can be expensive
What’s secondary data?
When info is collected by someone else but is used by the researcher for their own investigation
+/- secondary data
+expensive
+requires minimal effort to collect
-the data could be outdated and incomplete
-nah not be reliable
What’s a meta-analysis?
When a researcher combines results from many different studies and uses it to form an overall view of the subject they’re investigating
+/- meta-analysis
+more generalisable
+researcher is able to view the evidence in more confidence as there’s a lot of it
-publication bias ——> researcher leaves out info that gives negative results
3 measures of central tendency
Mean
Median
Mode
What’s the mean
Total of all values divided by how many there are
+/- mean
+Makes use of all values
+Good for interval data
-influenced by outliers can be unrepresentative
Median
Central value
+/- median
+not affected by extreme scores
+good for ordinal data
-doesn’t use all values so isn’t as sensitive
Mode
The most frequent value in a set of data
+/- mode
+useful for nominal data
-isn’t useful when they’re several modes
What are the 2 measures of dispersion
Range
Standard deviation
Range
Minus lowest and highest scores
+/- range
+easy to calculate
-affected by extreme values
-doesn’t use all data
What’s a standard deviation?
Calculated by subtracting each value from the mean and squaring the difference and finding the sum of the square
+/- standard deviation
+precise measure as all data is taken into account
-difficult to calculate
-affected by extreme values
What are bar charts used for?
Discrete data ——> data that’s been divided into categories
Frequency ——> Y/vertical axis
Categories ——> X/horizontal axis
What are histograms used for?
Continuous data
What are line graphs used for?
Points connected by lines to show the change in values
What are scattergrams used for?
To show associations between co-variables ——>used for correlations
IV x-axis
DV y-axis
What’s a normal distribution?
A symmetrical pattern of frequency data that forms a bell-shaped pattern
What’s a skewed distribution
A spread of frequency data that’s not symmetrical but instead clusters at one end
Positive - concentrated on the right
Negative - concentrated on the left
What’s a peer review?
The assessment of scientific work by experts in the same field ——> makes sure research is published to a high quality
What’s the main purpose of the peer review?
It’s worthwhile so funding can be allocated to it
Validate the relevance and quality of research
Suggest possible improvements or amendments to the research study
