Secondary data

Secondary data

1. Information that has been collected or created by someone else for their own purposes, but which the sociologist can then use

2. Official statistics are secondary data

   • They are produced by the government on a wide range of issues
     • Issues like:
       • Crime
       • Divorce
       • Health
       • Unemployment

3. Documents are secondary data

   • Documents such as:
     • Letters
     • Diaries
     • Photographs
     • Official reports
     • Novels
     • Newspapers
     • Television broadcasts

4. Advantages

   • Can be quick and cheap since someone else has already done it

5. Disadvantages

   • Those who produce it may not be interested in the same questions as sociologists, and so secondary sources may not provide exactly the information that sociologists need