types of data

what is quantitative data

data in numerical form

what is qualitative data

non-numerical data - typically in the form of descriptions, words, meanings and texts

detailed

what is primary data

data that is gathered directly, first-hand from the participants themselves

collected specifically for the purpose of the investigation

data is specific to the aim of the study and has not been published before - e.g. from a interview

what is secondary data

data that has been previously collected by a third party

not specifically for the aim of the study and is then used by the researcher

published before or data that already exists

what is a meta-analysis

statistical technique for combing the findings of several studies, which focus on the same research question and methods of research

use of secondary research

what is a strength of a meta analysis

group of studies rather than from just one study can allow more reliable conclusions to be drawn

what are limitations of a meta analysis

different studies sampled may vary considerably which means studies are not truly comparable

results from meta analysis are not always reliable