research methods Flashcards
examples of primary data
questionnaires
interviews
observational studies
strength of primary data
control over how and what data is collected
control over reliability and validity of data
weaknesses of primary data
time consuming
expensive
difficulty accessing target group
examples of secondary data
documents
statistics
previous research
strengths of secondary data
saves time
useful for historical and comparative purpose
can be highly reliable
highly valid
weaknesses of secondary data
clash in definitions
some sources can be unreliable such as personal documents
May be biased
quantitative data
raw number
numerical
percentage
rate
strengths of quantitative data
comparisons
statistical analysis
correlations
track changes over time
more reliable
objective
weaknesses of quantitative data
artificial
narrow range of information
lacks depth
surface level data
qualitative data
literary
experiences and meanings
quality of behaviour
strengths of qualitative data
in depth information
non artificial settings
rapport with respondents
weaknesses
intensive
can’t be generalised easily
not representative
difficult to compare
difficult to replicate
low reliability
open to interpretation
official statistics
secondary data
patterns of behaviour
trends can be drawn from findings
comparative analysis
strengths of official statistics
representative
saves time
hard statistics
weaknesses of official statistics
low validity
not all information may be reliable
biased
