The nature and types of secondary data

Secondary data refers to information that has already been collected by someone else, which sociologists can use for their research. This type of data is distinct from primary data, which researchers gather themselves through methods like surveys or interviews.

Categories of secondary data

• Quantitative secondary data - Includes numerical information such as statistics from surveys or official records, often used to identify trends or patterns.
• Qualitative secondary data - Comprises non-numerical content like written texts or media outputs, which provide deeper understanding of meanings and experiences.

Statistics as a source of secondary data

Statistics are a key form of secondary data, offering numerical insights into various social issues. They are produced by a range of organisations and can be divided into official and non-official categories.

Official statistics and their characteristics

• Source of data - Produced by local governments, central government, and government agencies.
• Hard statistics - Considered objective and less prone to manipulation, such as data on births and marriages.
• Soft statistics - More subjective and open to interpretation or alteration, such as figures on crime, poverty, and unemployment. In the 1980s and 1990s, the government changed the method used to measure unemployment over 20 times.
• Key examples - Include historical publications like Social Trends, a compilation of government surveys published annually until 2012. The UK census, conducted every 10 years, legally requires all households to participate. Additionally, the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) collects data on crime victims through questionnaires.

Non-official statistics and their role

• Source of data - Collected by entities outside the government.
• Examples of non-official statistics - Include television ratings compiled by the British Audience Research Bureau, as well as surveys conducted by charities, special interest groups, or other sociologists.

Documents and mass media as sources of secondary data

Beyond statistics, secondary data also includes written texts and media content, which provide qualitative insights into social life.

Types and features of documents

• Definition and formats - Documents are written texts, available in physical form (like paper records) or digital formats (such as online articles).
• Categories of documents - Can be personal, including letters, diaries, autobiographies, and memoirs, or official, such as school, health, church, or social work records. Public documents are produced by charities, businesses, or local authorities.
• Purpose and preference - Documents can be expressive, focusing on personal meanings (e.g., diaries), or formal, like official records. Interpretivist sociologists often favour expressive documents for their rich qualitative data.
• Challenges with documents - Older documents may be hard to interpret due to language or context. There is also a risk of forgery or inaccuracy, particularly in personal accounts that might contain exaggerations or falsehoods.

Mass media and content analysis

• Role in sociology - Mass media serves as a valuable source of secondary data.
• Method of study - Content analysis is a systematic approach used to examine the meanings within media content, such as speeches, films, or letters.
• Example of research - Studies by the Glasgow University Media Group have utilised content analysis to explore media content.

The use of comparative methods with secondary data

Sociologists often employ secondary data to draw comparisons across different contexts, enabling them to analyse social patterns and differences.

Applications of the comparative method

• Analysing differences - Secondary data allows researchers to compare social behaviours across different time periods, cultures, or groups within a society.
• Real-world insights - This method enables the study of authentic social behaviour without having to set up artificial experiments.

Emile Durkheim's 1897 study of suicide is a classic application of the comparative method. By examining suicide rates across various European societies, Durkheim discovered that while rates remained stable within each society over time, they differed significantly between societies and among different social groups within them.