types of data, methods and research design Questions
and Answers & notes summaries
what is primary data? ** Answ** involves information collected personally by a researcher.
The researcher may use a range of methods, such as questionnaires, interviews and observational
studies.
What are the strengths of primary data ** Answ** -The researcher has complete control over
how data is collected, by whom and for what purpose.
-In addition, where a researcher designs and carries out their own research they have greater
control over the reliability and validity of the data, as well as how representative it is.
What are the limitations of primary data ** Answ** -Primary research can be time-
consuming to design, construct and carry out, especially if it involves personally interviewing
large numbers of people.
-Primary research can also be expensive
-In addition, the researcher may have difficulty gaining access to the target group. Some people
may refuse to participate or, in the case of historical research, potential respondents may no
longer be alive.
what is secondary data? ** Answ** is data that already exists in some form, such as
documents (government reports and statistics, personal letters and diaries) or previous research
completed by other sociologists.
,What are the strengths of secondary data? ** Answ** -The researcher is able to save time,
money and effort by using existing data such as official government statistics about crime,
marriage or divorce.
-There may also be situations where secondary data is the only available resource, such as when
researching suicide.
-Secondary data is also useful for historical and comparative purposes. Aries (1962) used
paintings and historical documents to support that childhood was a relatively recent invention.
-Some forms of secondary data, such as official statistics, may be highly reliable because the
data is collected consistently, in the same way from the same sources. This type of data is also
more likely to represent what it claims to represent.
What are the limitations of secondary data ** Answ** -Secondary data is not always
produced with the needs of sociologists in mind. For example, official definitions of poverty,
class or ethnicity may be different from sociological definitions.
-Sources, such as personal documents, can be unreliable.
-official crime stats may not measure all crimes but only those reported to authorities.
- Some forms of secondary data, such as historical documents, may only reflect the views of a
single individual rather than representing wider opinions.
what is quantitative data? ** Answ** Quantitative data expresses information numerically, in
one of three ways:
1 A raw number, such as the total number of people who live in a society.
,2 A percentage, or the number of people per 100, in a population; for example, around 80% of
Indians follow the Hindu religion.
3 A rate, or the number of people per 1,000 in a population; a birth rate of 1, for example, means
that for every 1,000 people in a population, one baby is born each year.
what are the strengths of quantitative data? ** Answ** -The ability to express relationships
statistically can be useful if the researcher does not need to explore the reasons for people's
behaviour - if they simply need to compare numbers.
-Quantitative data allows sociologists to summarise sources of information and make
comparisons. Statistical comparisons and correlations can test whether a hypothesis is true or
false. They can also track changes in the behaviour of the same group over time (a longitudinal
study).
-Quantitative research is more reliable because it is easier to repeat (replicate) the study.
Standardised questions that do not change, for example, can be asked of different groups or the
same group at different times. The results can then be quantified and compared. If the answers
are the same, or very similar, then the research is more likely to be reliable.
-Quantitative data also makes it easier for researchers to remain objective. They do not need to
have a close personal involvement with the subjects of the study, so their personal views or
biases are less likely to get in the way of (intrude into) the data-collection process.
what are the limitations of quantitative data? ** Answ** -Quantification is often achieved by
placing the respondent in an 'artificial social setting' in order to control the responses and the data
collected. People rarely, if ever, encounter situations where they are asked to respond to a list of
questions from a stranger, or have their behaviour observed in a laboratory.
-Some argue that it is impossible to capture people's 'normal' behaviour or collect 'real' responses
when the subjects are placed in such an artificial environment.
, Quantitative data only captures a relatively narrow range of information - the 'who, what, when
and where' of people's behaviour.
-Quantitative data does not usually reveal the reasons for behaviour because it lacks depth; the
more detailed the behavioural data, the more difficult it is to quantify. As a result, quantitative
data is often seen as surface level only data and superficial.
what is qualitative data? ** Answ** aims to capture the quality of people's behaviour by
exploring the 'why' rather than the 'what, when and where'. It involves questions about how
people feel about their experiences and can be used to understand the meanings applied to
behaviour.
what are the strengths of qualitative data? ** Answ** -The aim of qualitative research is to
understand people's behaviour, so they must be allowed to talk and act freely. This allows the
researcher to capture the complex reasons for behaviour.
-Qualitative methods, such as participant observation involve the researcher establishing a strong
personal relationship or rapport with respondents in order to experience their lives. By collecting
qualitative data in this way, researchers have greater freedom to study people in their 'normal'
settings. The results are more likely to show how people really behave and what they really
believe.
what are the limitations of qualitative data? ** Answ** -Qualitative research focuses on the
intensive study of relatively small groups, which may limit the opportunity for applying the data
more widely - such groups may not be representative of anything but themselves. (low
generalisability)
-It is also difficult to compare qualitative data across time and location because no two groups
will ever be qualitatively the same.
and Answers & notes summaries
what is primary data? ** Answ** involves information collected personally by a researcher.
The researcher may use a range of methods, such as questionnaires, interviews and observational
studies.
What are the strengths of primary data ** Answ** -The researcher has complete control over
how data is collected, by whom and for what purpose.
-In addition, where a researcher designs and carries out their own research they have greater
control over the reliability and validity of the data, as well as how representative it is.
What are the limitations of primary data ** Answ** -Primary research can be time-
consuming to design, construct and carry out, especially if it involves personally interviewing
large numbers of people.
-Primary research can also be expensive
-In addition, the researcher may have difficulty gaining access to the target group. Some people
may refuse to participate or, in the case of historical research, potential respondents may no
longer be alive.
what is secondary data? ** Answ** is data that already exists in some form, such as
documents (government reports and statistics, personal letters and diaries) or previous research
completed by other sociologists.
,What are the strengths of secondary data? ** Answ** -The researcher is able to save time,
money and effort by using existing data such as official government statistics about crime,
marriage or divorce.
-There may also be situations where secondary data is the only available resource, such as when
researching suicide.
-Secondary data is also useful for historical and comparative purposes. Aries (1962) used
paintings and historical documents to support that childhood was a relatively recent invention.
-Some forms of secondary data, such as official statistics, may be highly reliable because the
data is collected consistently, in the same way from the same sources. This type of data is also
more likely to represent what it claims to represent.
What are the limitations of secondary data ** Answ** -Secondary data is not always
produced with the needs of sociologists in mind. For example, official definitions of poverty,
class or ethnicity may be different from sociological definitions.
-Sources, such as personal documents, can be unreliable.
-official crime stats may not measure all crimes but only those reported to authorities.
- Some forms of secondary data, such as historical documents, may only reflect the views of a
single individual rather than representing wider opinions.
what is quantitative data? ** Answ** Quantitative data expresses information numerically, in
one of three ways:
1 A raw number, such as the total number of people who live in a society.
,2 A percentage, or the number of people per 100, in a population; for example, around 80% of
Indians follow the Hindu religion.
3 A rate, or the number of people per 1,000 in a population; a birth rate of 1, for example, means
that for every 1,000 people in a population, one baby is born each year.
what are the strengths of quantitative data? ** Answ** -The ability to express relationships
statistically can be useful if the researcher does not need to explore the reasons for people's
behaviour - if they simply need to compare numbers.
-Quantitative data allows sociologists to summarise sources of information and make
comparisons. Statistical comparisons and correlations can test whether a hypothesis is true or
false. They can also track changes in the behaviour of the same group over time (a longitudinal
study).
-Quantitative research is more reliable because it is easier to repeat (replicate) the study.
Standardised questions that do not change, for example, can be asked of different groups or the
same group at different times. The results can then be quantified and compared. If the answers
are the same, or very similar, then the research is more likely to be reliable.
-Quantitative data also makes it easier for researchers to remain objective. They do not need to
have a close personal involvement with the subjects of the study, so their personal views or
biases are less likely to get in the way of (intrude into) the data-collection process.
what are the limitations of quantitative data? ** Answ** -Quantification is often achieved by
placing the respondent in an 'artificial social setting' in order to control the responses and the data
collected. People rarely, if ever, encounter situations where they are asked to respond to a list of
questions from a stranger, or have their behaviour observed in a laboratory.
-Some argue that it is impossible to capture people's 'normal' behaviour or collect 'real' responses
when the subjects are placed in such an artificial environment.
, Quantitative data only captures a relatively narrow range of information - the 'who, what, when
and where' of people's behaviour.
-Quantitative data does not usually reveal the reasons for behaviour because it lacks depth; the
more detailed the behavioural data, the more difficult it is to quantify. As a result, quantitative
data is often seen as surface level only data and superficial.
what is qualitative data? ** Answ** aims to capture the quality of people's behaviour by
exploring the 'why' rather than the 'what, when and where'. It involves questions about how
people feel about their experiences and can be used to understand the meanings applied to
behaviour.
what are the strengths of qualitative data? ** Answ** -The aim of qualitative research is to
understand people's behaviour, so they must be allowed to talk and act freely. This allows the
researcher to capture the complex reasons for behaviour.
-Qualitative methods, such as participant observation involve the researcher establishing a strong
personal relationship or rapport with respondents in order to experience their lives. By collecting
qualitative data in this way, researchers have greater freedom to study people in their 'normal'
settings. The results are more likely to show how people really behave and what they really
believe.
what are the limitations of qualitative data? ** Answ** -Qualitative research focuses on the
intensive study of relatively small groups, which may limit the opportunity for applying the data
more widely - such groups may not be representative of anything but themselves. (low
generalisability)
-It is also difficult to compare qualitative data across time and location because no two groups
will ever be qualitatively the same.
