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Sources of Data

The document discusses different types of data sources including primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. Primary sources are original data collected first-hand for a specific purpose, while secondary sources are data that has already been collected and published by others. Tertiary sources compile and summarize information from primary and secondary sources.

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nigelmarume02
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11 views

Sources of Data

The document discusses different types of data sources including primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. Primary sources are original data collected first-hand for a specific purpose, while secondary sources are data that has already been collected and published by others. Tertiary sources compile and summarize information from primary and secondary sources.

Uploaded by

nigelmarume02
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SOURCES OF DATA

Data can be numbers, words, figures, facts or ideas.


Data in itself cannot be understood and to get
information from the data one must interpret it
meaningfully. Data sources can be classified into
three broad groups namely: primary, secondary and
tertiary data.
PRIMARY DATA
Original data that has been collected specially for
purpose in mind. It means that someone collected
from the original source first hand.
Data has not been published yet and is more reliable,
authentic and objective.
It has not been changed or altered by human beings,
therefore its validity is greater than secondary data.
Primary sources are documents that provide
accounts from the actual participants or witnesses of
an event or artifacts that document a bygone era.
ADVANTAGES OF PRIMARY SOURCES
OF DATA
 Data is relatively accurate because it is directly
observed by the researcher.
 It is usually up to date
 Precisely relates to the problem being investigated
 It can be an accurate source of data secondary data
fails to provide sufficient answers to the research
problem
DISADVANTAGES OF PRIMARY SOURCES OF
DATA
 High cost
 Time consuming
 Inaccurate feedbacks
 More numbers of resources is required
PRIMARY SOURCES OF DATA
 Personal papers
 Letters (both personal and business)

• Diaries and journals (both personal and business)


• Photographs & paintings, sketches, original maps, etc.
• Advertisements, posters, and banners
• Memoirs
• News footage (newsreels, videotapes or audiotapes,
etc.)
• Newspaper articles written at time of the event
• Speeches which are contemporaneous with the event
• Oral histories
• Minutes of meetings related to the event
• Vital records (birth and death records, census records,
court records, tax records, property records, church
registers, or other public and private records).
• Material artefacts (physical objects or evidence related
to the event, including articles of clothing, furnishings,
coins, stamps, buildings, tools, weapons, etc.)
• Creative works, such as novels, essays, poetry, music,
art and audio or video recordings
SECONDARY DATA
Is data that has been already collected by
and readily available from other sources (it
is data that is being re-used). Such data are
more quickly obtainable than primary data.
These are accounts of events which were
created well after the event occurred.
Secondary data is based on primary data –
as it usually based on studies which analyze,
evaluate, interpret or criticize primary data.
Secondary data is the interpretation of other source
material concerning an event and may incorporate
primary and other secondary sources.
EXAMPLES OF SECONDARY SOURCES INCLUDE:

 Government documents
 Academic and organisational journals
 Historical studies
 School or institutional magazines
 Data base
 Periodicals
ADVANTAGES OF SECONDARY
SOURCES OF DATA
 Inexpensive
 Easily accessible
 Immediately available
 Provide essential background and help clarify or
refine research problem - essential for literature
review
 Provides research method alternatives
 Alert the researcher to any potential difficulties
 Provide comparable and contextual data (It useful in
triangulating the findings)
 Can lead to unforeseen discoveries if it is reanalysed
 It provides a good starting point in problem solving
before any attempt to observe the situation directly
DISADVANTAGES OF SECONDARY DATA
SOURCES
 Need to collect data from several sources therefore
chances of making errors are high
 There is a possibility of transcription or printing
errors in published data e.g. newspapers and
magazines
 Collection and compilation of data is a long process
therefore it can be a problem if the investigation
item changes rapidly
 There may be bias due to poor collection techniques
 Information and data may not be accurate (source of
data must be checked)
 Data may be old and out - dated and needs some
adjustments
 Organisations publishing the data may not be
reputable
 The accuracy of the data is questionable because
usually there is no proof on the data
TERTIARY SOURCES OF DATA
These are sources that compile or digest other
sources. Some reference materials and textbooks are
considered tertiary sources when their chief purpose
is to list, summarize or simply repackage ideas or
other information. Tertiary sources include
dictionaries and encyclopedias, Wikipedia and
similar user-contributed online
'encyclopedias' and reference material, as well as
various digests (including the Reader's Digest).

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