3.5 Data sources
Where do you get the data from?
In the previous section, we looked at the appropriateness of questions for questionnaires or surveys. This would lead to us having a set of responses, or data, that we have collected ourselves. Data collected first hand by the researcher in this way is known as primary data. Another example of primary data is undertaking an experiment and collecting results from it.
It is not always necessary to do all the work ourselves. Somebody may have already collected information that is of use in answering our initial question. Data that is already collected is called secondary data. In the UK, a good source for secondary data is the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which has the role of ‘collecting, analysing and disseminating statistics about the UK's economy, society and population.’ (ONS, 2024)
There are advantages and disadvantages with using any data sources. Points to consider include the time, and therefore cost, it takes to collect the data and the usefulness of the data in answering your posed questions. The validity of the data is important, i.e. how accurately it represents what it stands for. This depends on measures taken to reduce bias or error when the data is collected.