Types Of Data Flashcards
(16 cards)
Definition of quantitive data
Numerical data
Behaviour is measured in numbers/quantities
e.g. How much, how long, how many
Examples of methods that produce quantitive data
Closed questions
Observations (behavioural categories)
Coding (content analysis)
Measuring DV in experiments
Strengths of quantitive data
Easy to analyse & present graphically
Easier to compare
More objective (less open to bias)
Easier to discover trends as numerical data can be turned into percentages/decimals
Limitations of quantitive data
Hard to draw meaningful conclusions as data lacks insight
Participants may have felt “forced into” a choice so may not reflect true feelings
Qualitative data definition
Non-numerical data
Information in words that cannot be quantified/counted e.g. description
Examples of methods that produce qualitative data
Open questions
Unstructured observations
Thematic analysis (content analysis)
Case studies
Interviews
Strengths of qualitative data
Provides detailed information
Greater insights into behaviour, draw meaningful conclusions
Limitations of qualitative data
Hard to present graphically & draw trends from
Less objective, prone to bias
Hard to draw comparisons between conditions
Definition of primary sources
Information collected/observed first-hand by the researcher specifically to meet the aim of their research
Examples of methods that have data collected by primary sources
Anything carried out directly by the researcher e.g. interviews, experiments, questionnaires, observations, case studies
Strengths of primary sources
Data collected is specifically for the aims of the study so definitely suitable
Can be certain of the quality of the research methods behind the data
Weaknesses of primary sources
Time and effort, researcher must collect data before analysis can happen
More expensive due to extra time and effort, design, collect and analysis needs to be done by researcher
Definition of secondary sources
Information used in a study that was collected by someone else for a purpose other than the current study
Examples of methods that have data collected by secondary sources
Meta-analysis
Literature review
Correlations
Government statistics
Using findings from other studies
Strengths of secondary sources
Less time and effort needed: researcher accesses data that has already been published, saves time on collection
Because of this, less expense
Weaknesses of secondary sources
Data may not exactly fit the aims of the study
Cannot be sure of the quality of the research from which data comes, could compromise quality of conclusions
