Types of data

• Primary Data:

  • Sociologists collect for themselves for their own purposes
• Methods for gathering primary data:

  • Social surveys
  • Observation
  • Experiments
• Advantage + disadvantage of primary data:

  • (+)sociologist can gather precisely the info they need to test their hypothesis
  • (-) costly + time consuming
• Secondary data :

  • Info collected/created by someone else for their own purposes
  • But which the sociologist can then use
• Sources of secondary data :

  • Official statistics
  • Documents
• Advantage + disadvantage of secondary data:

  • (+) quick, easy + cheap way of doing research - already produced
  • (-) publisher not interested in same thing as sociologist so source doesn't give the right info req
• Longitudinal study:

  • Study taken over a long period of time
• Cross-sectional:

  • A study that is taken in one snapshot of time
• Pilot study :

  • Small scale preliminary study
  • To evaluate liklihood of full scale project
• Case study:

  • Detailed + in depth study of single case
  • Involving a group, individual, organisation or event
• Sample :

  • Smaller group within wider society, used as a focus for your research