Summary
Summary Research Methods: Secondary Sources
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what secondary sources are, their strengths and weaknesses in sociology
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Secondary sourcesSociologists not only use data they have gathered themselves by primary methods such
as observations etc. They also use information that other people have already gathered.
2 main sources of secondary data:
Official statistics
Documents
Official statistics = any set of data collected by the government or official body e.g.
official crime statistics, unemployment figures, demographic statistics collected from the
census, etc.
2 types of statistics:
Hard statistics (largely representative evidence with standardised reliable facts
(births, dates, marriages divorce). These are registered when they occur by law
Soft statistics - evidence which may not be largely representative or hold
standardised reliable facts, soft statistics are open to debate and conspiracy
theories. E.g. police statistics - police do not record all crimes
Census = Survey that happens every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people
and households in England and Wales. Answers to the census questions help
organisations make decisions on planning and funding public services in your area,
including transport, education and healthcare. Hard statistics.
Employment statistics = soft statistics. Some people are not registered as working but
they do e.g. nanny.
Government uses official statistics:
to use in policy making e.g. number of school places available based on number
of births.
Monitor the population via census and official birth/death rates
Department of Education uses official statistics:
Exam results
Effectiveness of schools and colleges
Evaluating official statistics
Practical issues -
cheap however time consuming if they have to be collected in. Effort. Frequent,
information constantly updated.
Government stats are too broad, don’t specifically research what is needed. Need
permission for some government statistics. Definitions change over time, which can
make comparisons difficult. Definitions different between government and sociology.
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