Types of Data: Primary & Secondary Data (AQA GCSE Psychology)
Revision Note
Written by: Claire Neeson
Reviewed by: Lucy Vinson
Primary data
Primary data consists of any research findings/results which have been collected at the source e.g. the data obtained from running an experiment, conducting an interview etc.
Primary data can be both qualitative (e.g. scores on a test of recall) or quantitative (e.g. the transcript from an interview)
Primary data refers specifically to the research aim
e.g. Loftus & Palmer (1974) collected data in the form of speed estimates based on their manipulation of key verbs to test the reliability of eyewitness testimony
Primary data is 'fresh' - it has not been previously published
Evaluation of primary data
Strengths
Primary data may be more reliable and valid than secondary data as the researcher has full control over how the data is collected
Primary data is usually up to date as it collects data in real-time rather than relying on data from old sources
Weaknesses
It may not be possible to collect primary data for some research e.g. if the topic is unusual, complex or requires more commitment than the researcher can give
Primary data may be subject to researcher bias i.e. the researcher only sees what they want to see to fulfil the aim of the research
Secondary data
Secondary data consists of any research findings/results which are pre-existing i.e. they have not been collected at source; it is not original data
Secondary data is that which has been obtained by other researchers who will each have been working to achieve their specific aim
Secondary data is not 'fresh' - it has been previously published
Secondary data allows a non-interested researcher (meaning they were not involved in the original research process) to gain a clear picture of the topic as they may be using data derived from multiple sources
Evaluation of secondary data
Strengths
Secondary data can be accessed quickly and easily which means that a researcher can use a range of sources to investigate a topic
Secondary data may provide new insight into existing theories and research
Weaknesses
As the researcher has not run the original research themselves they may have to verify the authenticity and validity of it, which is time-consuming and may not always be possible
Secondary data may be outdated which would affect both its reliability and validity
Worked Example
Here is an example of a question you might be asked on this topic - for AO2 and AO3.
AO2: You need to apply your knowledge and understanding, usually referring to the ‘stem’ in order to do so (the stem is the example given before the question)
AO3: You need to analyse and evaluate key concepts, ideas, theories and research.
Professor R.E.Call runs an experiment which investigates how many items on a list participants can remember depending on whether they recall the list in silence or when music is playing.
Question: Explain what type of data (primary or secondary) has been collected by the professor. Outline one strength of this type of data. [2]
Model answer:
The professor has collected primary data as he has run his own experiment i.e. it is data collected at source.
One strength of primary data is that the researcher can exert full control over how it is collected which makes it more reliable than secondary data.
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