Types of Data

Question 1

What is Primary Data? (adv+disadv)

Answer 1

Primary data refers to information which was not present before the research began. It is produced by the researcher first-hand during the actual study from primary research methods.

-An advantage of using primary data is that sociologist will be able to gather precisely the information the need to test their hypotheses.

-A disadvantage is that it can be unpractical (time consuming and costly)

Question 2

What is Secondary Data? (Adv/ Disadv)

Answer 2

• Secondary data refers to data which already exists.It includes data from historical reconds, official statistics, government reports, newspapers, diaries,
autobiographies, novels etc. (using secondary research methods).

• (ADV) Using secondary sources can be a quick and cheap way of doing research.

• (DISADV) However, it may have been produced for different reasons.

Question 3

What is Quantitative Data?

Answer 3

Quantitative data refers to information in a numerical form which can be used for statistical analysis.

For example:
• The proportion of young people from middle class backgrounds who go to university.

-Particularly useful for measuring strengths between different factors/variables.

Question 4

What is Qualitative Data?

Answer 4

Qualitative data refers to all types of data that are not numerical.

For example:
•Quotes from interviews on how black pupils feel they have been labelled;

Qualitative data can often provide a richer and more in-depth picture of social life than the statistics provided by quantitative data.

Question 5

What is validity?

Answer 5

Data is valid if it presents a true, genuine and accurate picture, description or measurement which enables the researcher to get close to the truth,

For example: if a sociologist captured in their research how it felt to be labelled negatively by a teacher.

Question 6

What is reliability? (+disadv)

Answer 6

Data is reliable when different researchers using the same methods obtain the same results - it is replicated,

For example, if a number of researchers observed the same set in a school and produced the same description of the pupils’ behaviour, their results would be seen as being reliable.

However, some data may be reliable but not valid. For example, the position of schools in the league table may be based on reliable achievement data, but it may not represent a valid picture of the school.

Question 7

Two reasons why sociologists prefer to collect primary data in their research

Answer 7

-Findings don’t exist until sociologist discovers it
-Sociologists will be able to find the information to test hypothesis

Question 8

Two reasons why a positivist sociologist prefers quantitative data

Answer 8

-Gain a macro level of analysis
-Able to identify Patterns and trends

Question 9

What’s a Hypothesis?

Answer 9

A concept or idea you test through research and experiments