Data Analysis: Types of Data

Question 1

Qualitative Data:

Answer 1

Expressed in words and non-numerical data. Can be converted for analysis.

Question 2

Quantitative Data:

Answer 2

Data that can be counted and expressed numerically.

Question 3

Primary data:

Answer 3

Information that has been obtained first hand for the purposes of a research project. In psychology data is often gathered directly for participants as part of an experiment, self-report or observation.

Question 4

Secondary data:

Answer 4

Information that has already been collected by someone else and so pre dates the current research project. In psychology, such data might include work of other psychologists or government statistics.

Question 5

Meta-analysis:

Answer 5

Process of combining results from a number of studies on a particular topic to provide an overall view. Involve a qualitative review of conclusions and or a quantitative review of conclusions/quantitative analysis of the results producing an effect size.

Question 6

E: Qualitative

Answer 6

1. More richness of detail than quantitative data, broader in scope and gives the respondent more licence to develop their thoughts, feelings and opinions.
2. Greater external validity, more meaningful insight into their worldview.
3. Difficult to analyse, tends not to lend itself to being summarised statistically so that patterns and comparisons within and between data may be hard to identify.
4. Conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretations of the researcher and may be subject to bias, researcher has preconceptions about what they are expecting to find.

Question 7

E: Quantitative Data

Answer 7

1. Relatively simple to analyse, comparisons between groups can be easily drawn.
2. Data in numerical form tends to be more objective and less open to bias.
3. Quantitative data is much narrower in scope and meaning than qualitative data, may fail to represent ‘real-life.’

Question 8

E: Primary Data

Answer 8

1. It fits the job, authentic data obtained from the participants themselves for the purpose of a particular investigation.
2. Questionnaires and interviews, can be designed in a way that they specifically target the information that the researcher requires time and effort on the part of the researcher.
3. Requires a lot of effort (conducting an experiment) requires considerable planning, preparation and resources. SD can be accessed in a matter of minutes.

Question 9

E: Secondary Data

Answer 9

1. May be inexpensive and easily accessed requiring minimal effort. The research may find the desired information already exists, so there is no need to conduct primary data collection.
2. Substantial variation in the quality and accuracy of secondary data. May first appear to be valuable and promising but, on further investigation, may be out-dated or incomplete.
3. The content of the data may not quite match the researcher’s needs or objectives.