Topic 2: Secondary data used in the research process.

What is secondary data?

Data collected by someone else that sociologists use for research.

What are the two main types of secondary data?

Quantitative data and qualitative data.

What is quantitative secondary data?

Numerical data such as statistics.

What is qualitative secondary data?

Written or visual data such as diaries and letters.

Give three examples of qualitative secondary data.

Diaries, letters, newspapers.

Give three examples of quantitative secondary data.

Crime statistics, unemployment statistics, divorce statistics.

Why is secondary data practical?

It is cheap, quick and easy to access.

Why does secondary data help sociologists make comparisons?

It allows trends and patterns to be studied over time.

How can secondary data help primary research?

How can secondary data help primary research?

What is the main disadvantage of secondary data?

It may not meet the researcher's needs.

Why might government measures be problematic for sociologists?

They may define concepts differently.

What are official statistics?

Statistics collected by the government.

Which organisation produces many UK official statistics?

The Office for National Statistics (ONS).

What is the Census?

A survey of the entire UK population conducted every 10 years.

When was the most recent Census?

2021

Since when has the Census been conducted?

1851 (except 1941).

What does the Census collect information about?

Household size, marital status and occupation.

Give two examples of registration statistics.

Births and deaths.

Why are official statistics practical?

Large amounts of free data are available.

Why are official statistics reliable?

Standardised methods are used repeatedly.

Why are official statistics representative?

Large-scale samples are used.

Which sociologist used official statistics to study suicide?

Durkheim

What did Durkheim compare?

Suicide rates among Catholics and Protestants.

Why should trends in official statistics be treated cautiously?

Definitions may change over time.

Why do interpretivists criticise official statistics?

They lack validity.

Why do official statistics lack validity according to interpretivists?

They show what is happening but not why.

What are unofficial statistics?

Statistics collected by non-government organisations.

Give four sources of unofficial statistics.

Charities, trade unions, universities and political parties.

What is the Mass Observation Archive?

A collection of people's views held by the University of Sussex.

Why are unofficial statistics often representative?

Large samples can be collected.

Why do positivists favour unofficial statistics?

They are reliable and scientific.

Why are unofficial statistics reliable?

Standardised methods can be repeated.

Why may unofficial statistics be less reliable than official statistics?

Organisations may not use strict standardised procedures.

Why do interpretivists criticise unofficial statistics?

They lack validity and depth.

What are personal documents?

What are personal documents?

Give five examples of personal documents.

Diaries, letters, biographies, newspapers and photographs.

Which perspective favours personal documents?

Interpretivism.

Why do interpretivists favour personal documents?

They provide high validity.

Why are personal documents high in validity?

They provide detailed insights into people's lives.

They provide detailed insights into people's lives.

Anne Frank's diary.

How can personal documents support research?

They provide background information and evidence.

Which sociologist built on Willis' research?

Jackson.

Why are personal documents low in reliability?

They are not standardised.

Why can personal documents be unrepresentative?

They may reflect only one person's views.

Why can validity be questioned with personal documents?

They may not reflect wider society.

What is content analysis?

The systematic study of documents and media.

Can content analysis produce qualitative data?

Yes

Can content analysis produce quantitative data?

Yes

What does quantitative content analysis involve?

Counting categories or patterns

What does qualitative content analysis involve?

Describing and interpreting content.

What might a quantitative content analysis study?

Female stereotypes in television programmes.

What might a qualitative content analysis study?

Media representations of Muslims.

Why is content analysis practical?

It is cheap and easy to conduct.

Why is content analysis useful for comparison?

It can compare media over time.

Why is quantitative content analysis reliable?

Other researchers can repeat it.

Why can content analysis be time-consuming?

Large amounts of media must be analysed.

Why can content analysis lack objectivity?

Researchers may interpret content differently.

What may media content reflect instead of society?

The beliefs of media producers.

What is a longitudinal study?

Research conducted over a long period of time.

What is a panel study?

Research following the same sample repeatedly.

What is a cohort study?

Research following people with a shared characteristic.

Why are longitudinal studies high in validity?

They show change over time.

Why are longitudinal studies more representative of people's lives?

They avoid a one-off snapshot.

Why are longitudinal studies useful secondary data?

Sociologists can use years of data without collecting it themselves.

Why are longitudinal studies expensive?

They require researchers for many years.

Why are longitudinal studies time-consuming?

Data is collected repeatedly over long periods.

What is attrition?

Participants dropping out of a study.

Why can attrition reduce representativeness?

The sample becomes smaller and less diverse.

How many families were followed in Child of Our Time?

25 families.