types of data Flashcards
quantitative data
numerical data that can easily be statistically analysed and converted into a graphical format
evaluate quantitative data
+ easy to statistically analyse to compare and identify trends between groups
– lacks representativeness. usually generated from closed questions which gain responses that don’t effectively explain complex behaviour. may not represent real life so may lack validity
qualitative data
language-based data expressed in words, allows researchers to gain insight into the nature of human experiences, opinions and feelings
evaluate qualitative data
+ can obtain rich and detailed data, external validity is increased as people are more likely to represent an accurate worldview
– can be subjective as interpretations can rely only on the opinions and judgements of the researcher. any preconceptions may bias any conclusions
primary data
- data collected for a specific purpose and reported by the original researcher
- data the participant reports directly to the researcher or is witnessed first-hand
evaluate primary data
+ high authenticity as it’s collected for the sole purpose of the investigation with high levels of control
– can be time-consuming and take lots of effort to carry out research
secondary data
- info collected by other researchers for a purpose other than the research it’s being used for
evaluate secondary data
+ much less time-consuming and expensive to collect
– concerns over accuracy as the info wasn’t gathered for the specific aim of the research
meta-analysis
- where investigators combine findings from multiple studies on a specific phenomenon to make an overall analysis of patterns and trends
evaluate meta-analysis
+ conclusions will be drawn based on a much larger sample, so generalizability is more likely. increases the validity of patterns and trends identified
– issues of bias as the investigator may choose to ignore certain findings from existing research
