Ruth’s Sociology Resources Blog

Secondary data can be obtained from a wide variety of different sources and can often be very useful to sociologists, either as their main source of data or to support or inform primary research. However, at the same time secondary data does have its drawbacks.
Qualitative Secondary data
For a PowerPoint looking at the uses and advantages and problems of qualitative secondary data, click here.

Quantitative Secondary data

• Can come from a number of sources
• Most commonly used form for social research is that of official statistics
• Official statistics – compiled by government agencies
• Eg. – census & statistics for births, deaths, marriages, deaths, A-level results, crime

Advantages:

• cheap
• easily available
• cover many aspects of social life
• cover a long period of time – often may be only source of info
• allows “before & after” studies
• can be very useful for background detail for a study

Disadvantages:

• collected by officials, not sociologists
• definitions may be changed over time – difficult to check validity
• may exclude important information
• data may be incomplete – eg. Crime stats

For a PowerPoint giving more information on quantitative secondary data, click here.

Official Statistics
Official statistics are just one type of quantitative secondary data, however, they have their own particular issues and are also particularly popular with examiners!

For a PowerPoint looking at them in more depth, click here.