TYPES OF DATA: QUALITATIVE/QUANTITATIVE & PRIMARY/SECONDARY AO1 & AO3

Question 1

quantitative data + EVA

Answer 1

• data in numerical form which can be put into categories, or in rank order, or interval dataused to make graphs and tables of raw datae.g. correlations, experiments, closed questions

+ easily summarised into graphs or statistics = identify patterns and trends
+ more objective – not opened to interpretation
+ easier to analyse

• results are limited as they provide numerical descriptions
• research is usually carried out in unnatural, artificial environment

Question 2

Qualitative + EVA

Answer 2

Data that’s not in numerical i.e. written
Typically, descriptive data.e.g. case studies, content analysis, open questions

+ richer and in more detail
+ more valid data
- fewer people studied as more time consuming
- less easy to generalise
- difficult to make systematic comparisons as responses are so varied

Question 3

Primary + EVA

Answer 3

• refers to original data that has been collected specifically for the purpose of the investigation by the researcher first hand from participants themselves

+ fits the job studied designed to extract data needed information is directly relevant to research aims

• requires time and effort, designing and collating questionnaires takes time and expense

Question 4

secondary data + EVAB

Answer 4

• data that has been collected by someone else in other words, data that already exists before the psychologists begins their research found in journals, internet or books

+inexpensive the desired information already exists

• quality may be poor information may be outdated or incomplete reduces validity

Question 5

meta analysis + eva

Answer 5

• ‘research about research’
  refers to the process of combining results form a number of different studies on a particular topic to provide an overall view
  may involve a qualitative review of conclusions or a quantitative analysis of results.

+increases validity of conclusions the eventual sample size is much larger than individual sample increases the extent to which generalization can be made

• publication bias researchers may not select all relevant studies, leaving out negative or non-significant results lack validity