1.2.1 - TYPES OF DATA

Quantitative and Qualitative Methods of Research

Type of research

• Social research can be conducted for a number of purposes and these reasons influence the choice of methods used.

• Some methods require the use of experiments to test a hypothesis (resulting in quantitative data) while those used to develop new theories involve researchers observing social life (where the data is qualitative).

• Researchers use primary or secondary data, or a combination of the two.

Methodology

★The methods researchers use to collect data, as well as the philosophy underlying the production of sociological data.

Quantitative data

• Quantitative data consists of data in numerical form.

  • For example, the number of females and males passing an exam.

Qualitative data

• Qualitative data is any data that isn’t numerical.

  • Such as written description (filed notes), diary entries, photographs, recorded music or radio programmes.

Primary sources

• Qualitative and quantitative data can be gathered from primary and secondary sources.

• Primary sources are sources of data that are produced directly by a sociologist conducting research.

  • Such as the results of experiments or the answers obtained from questionnaires and interviews.

Secondary sources

• Secondary sources consist of existing data produced by someone else.

  • For example government statistics, or the results of an experiment conducted by another researcher

Types of sociological research

Testing a hypothesis

⟶ Experiments

⟶ Quantitative data

Developing new theories

⟶ Researchers observing social life

⟶ Qualitative data

Types of data:

Quantitative data

★ Data in numerical form

Qualitative data

★ Any data that isn’t numerical

Methodological Pluralism and Triangulation

• In the real world, many researchers will use a range of methods to collect different types of data, regardless of whether they are qualitative or quantitative.

Methodological pluralism

★ The use of a variety of methods and types of data in a single research study.

Triangulation

★ The use of a variety of methods and different types of data to cross-check that the results obtained by one particular method are valid, and reliable.

• This includes using qualitative unstructured interviews to check against responses to a quantitative survey.

Sources of data:

Primary sources

• Produced directly by a sociologist conducting research.

Secondary sources

• Existing data produced by someone else.

Which of the following would be primary data?

The results of the experiment being conducted