types of data Flashcards
qualitative data
expressed in words and non numerical data
what might be shown in qualitative data
written descriptions of thoughts, feelings and opinions
what form of observation is qualitative data
unstructured interview
quantitative data
data that can be counted, usually given as numbers. data is open to being statistically analysed and can easily be converted into graphs and charts etc
what is quantitative data usually used for
gathering numerical data in the form of individual scores from participants
is quantitative or qualitative data best
it depends on the aim of the research. there is often overlap in data being collected such as quantitative data being collected from an experiment may have qualitative data from an interview aswell.
can qualitiative data be converted
qualitative data can be converted into numerical data
primary data
information obtained first hand by the researcher for the purposes of a research study
where is primary data often gathered from
directly from participants as part of an experiment, self-report or observation
secondary data
information that has already been collected by someone else and so pre-dates the current research project
where is secondary data often gathered from
journal articles, books or websites. statistical information held by the government such as population records or employee absences within an organisation
meta-analysis
the process of combining the findings from a number of studies on a particular topic. the aim is to produce an overall statistical conclusion based on a range of studies
how are meta-analysis studies chosen
same aims or hypothesis
how is meta-analysis used in experimental research
where the IV has been measured in the same way, it is possible to perform a statistical analysis and calculate an effect size. which gives an overall statistical measure of difference or relationship between variables across a number of studies
meta-analysis strengths
allows us to create a larger, more varied sample and results can be generalised across much larger populations, increasing validity
meta-analysis limitations
may be prone to publication bias. the researcher may not select all relevant studies, choosing to leave out those studies with negative or non-significant results –> the conclusions from the meta-analysis will be biased because they will only represent some of the relevant data
qualitative data strengths
-offers the researcher more richness in detail than quantitative data
-much broader in scope and gives the opportunity for the participant to fully report their thoughts, feelings and opinions
-this means that it has a greater external validity as provides researcher with a more meaningful insight into participants world view
qualitative data limitations
-often difficult to analyse as tends not to lend itself to being summarised statistically so patterns and comparisons within the data may be hard to identify
-this means that conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretations of the researcher and these may be subject to bias, particularly if the researcher has preconceptions about what they might find
quantitative data strengths
-simple to analyse and therefore comparisons can be easily drawn
-numerical data tends to be more objective and less bias
quantitative data limitations
-much narrower in meaning and detail than qualitative data so may fail to represent real life
primary data strengths
-fit for purpose as data is authentic and and obtained from participants themselves the investigation, the questionnaires and interviews for instance are designed in a way that they specifically target the info the researcher requires
primary data limitations
-requires time and effort from the researcher as conducting an experiment requires planning, prep and resources
secondary data strengths
-may be inexpensive and easliy accessed which requires minimal effort
-the reseacher may find that the data already exists and that there is no need to conduct primary data
secondary data limitations
-may be substantial variation in quality and accuracy of the data
-the content of the data might not match the researcher’s needs or objectives which may challenge the validity of conclusions
