Secondary sources of data

• What is meant by official statistics?

  Government-collected data.
• Advantages of using Official Statistics - practical benefits

  • P: practical benefits.
  • E: Official statistics are readily available, cost-effective, and time-saving, as they are often collected and published by government agencies or organizations on a large scale.
  • E: For e.g, sociologists studying educational achievement can access data from the Department for Education on exam results, attendance rates etc w/o having to conduct time-consuming primary research.
  • L: Allows researchers to analyze trends and patterns in education
• Disadvantage of using Official Statistics - practical issues

  P: Practical issues.

  E: While they are readily available, they may not always align with the researcher’s specific aims or provide the level of detail needed for their study.

  E: For e.g a sociologist researching the impact of socioeconomic status on classroom behavior may find that official statistics focus more on broad patterns, such as exam results or school attendance, rather than specific interactions or experiences.

  L: Can make it difficult for researchers to fully address their research questions reducing the usefulness.
• Advantage of using Official Statistics - Theoretical Issue - Representativeness

  • P: High level of representativeness.
  • E: Official statistics are often based on large-scale data collected from entire populations or extensive samples, ensuring they provide a comprehensive overview.
  • E: For e.g government data on school performance includes information from almost all schools in the country, making it highly representative of the population being studied.
  • L: This allows sociologists to make generalizations enhancing the reliability of their findings.
• Advantage of using Official Statistics - Theoretical Issue - Reliability


  • P: Reliability.
  • E: Official statistics are collected using standardized procedures and methods, which ensures consistency + allows for replication of research.
  • E: For e.g, government statistics on school performance, such as exam results, are collected annually using the same criteria and formats, making them reliable for tracking changes over time.
  • L: Allows sociologists to compare data across different time periods or groups, making official statistics a dependable source for sociological research.
• Disdvantage of using Official Statistics - Theoretical Issue - Validity

  • P: lack validity
  • E: Official statistics are collected for administrative or political purposes rather than for sociological research - they might not reflect the true experiences or realities of the individuals being studied.
  • E: For e.g school attendance data may not account for students who are marked present but disengaged, or crime statistics might underreport incidents due to non-reporting by victims.
  • L: can result in an incomplete or distorted picture, reducing the usefulness
• Why do Positivists favour Official statistics?

  because they align with their scientific approach to studying society. Positivists believe sociology should focus on quantitative, objective, and generalizable data. Official statistics are seen as reliable and representative, as they are collected using standardized methods and often cover large populations. Allows positivists to identify patterns, trends, and correlations, which they use to establish social facts and develop laws of human behavior.
• Why do Interpretivists reject Official statistics?

  because they prioritize understanding the subjective meanings and experiences of individuals. Argue that official statistics are socially constructed, reflecting the priorities and biases of those who collect them rather than the lived realities of people. For instance, crime statistics might reflect police practices or reporting behaviors rather than actual crime levels.Prefer qualitative methods, such as interviews or participant observation, as these provide deeper insights into individuals' perspectives and meanings
• Disadvantages of using Documents - (practical issue) Authenticity

  • P: practical issue of authenticity.
  • E: Researchers must assess whether a document is genuine and credible - can be a time-consuming process. The authenticity of a document may be questionable, especially if it is an older source or lacks clear authorship and origins.
  • E: For eg, Hitlers diaries were fake
  • L : can complicate the research process and undermine the reliability of the findings, as using unauthentic documents could lead to inaccurate conclusions.
• Disadvantages of using Documents - (practical issue) Credibility

  • p: practical issue of credibility.
  • E: Documents may not always provide accurate or unbiased information, as they can reflect the subjective perspectives or agendas of their authors. Assessing the credibility of a document requires careful evaluation, which can be challenging and time-consuming.
  • E: For eg: Thomas and Znacieckis Polish immigrants lied in their letters home about their new life in the USA
  • L: can make it difficult for researchers to determine the reliability of the data,
• Disadvantages of using Documents - (theoretical issue) Representativeness

  • P: theoretical issue of representativeness.
  • E: reflect the views or experiences of a specific group or individual, meaning they may not be representative of the wider population. This limits the ability to generalize findings based on such sources.
  • E:: For eg, personal diaries or school policy documents may only reflect the perspectives of certain individuals, rather than the experiences of all students or staff.
  • L: can reduce their usefulness for sociological research,
• Disadvantages of using Documents - (theoretical issue) Meaning

  • P: theoretical issue of meaning.
  • E: open to interpretation, and researchers may impose their own biases or misunderstand the intended meaning of the content, leading to inaccurate conclusions.
  • E: For eg, when analyzing historical letters or school records, researchers may misinterpret the language
  • L: documents can compromise the validity of the research and make it difficult to fully understand the perspectives or intentions of the original author.
• advantages of using Documents - (theoretical issue) Validity

  • P: their potential for high validity.
  • E: provide detailed, qualitative insights into the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of individuals, offering a rich understanding of social phenomena.
  • E: For eg, personal diaries or letters can reveal the genuine emotions and perspectives of students or teachers, allowing researchers to explore the subjective experiences of education in depth.
  • L: documents a valuable source for interpretivist sociologists, who prioritize uncovering the meanings behind social actions and interactions.