Types of data

• What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative data?

  Qualitative is data that can be expressed in words. Quantitative is numerical data.
• What is the difference between primary and secondary data?

  Primary data is data you collect yourself. Secondary data is data that you obtain from others research.
• Give examples of methods that produce quantitative data

  Closed questionnaires, correlations, structured interviews with closed questions, structured observations with behavioural categories, frequency in content analysis.
• Give examples of methods that produce qualitative data

  Open question interviews, unstructured observations, case studies, content analysis.
• Give examples of methods that produce primary data

  Correlations, observations, interviews, questionnaires, case studies.
• Give examples of methods that produce secondary data

  Meta-analysis, review articles, correlations, government statistics.
• Evaluate qualitative data

  +Detailed information with greater insights

  -More subjective so open to bias

  -Harder to analyse and present on a graph
• Evaluate quantitative data

  + Easy to analyse and present on a graph

  + More objective so less bias

  -Limited information and less detailed
• Evaluate primary data

  + Reliable and valid as done yourself

  + High quality as study is controlled by yourself

  -Time consuming and requires a lot of effort

  -Expensive to carry out own research
• Evaluate secondary data

  + Less time consuming

  + Less expensive as own research not needed

  + Bigger sample can be obtained

  -Data may not fit the true aims of the study

  -Cannot be sure of the quality