CHAPTER TWO: COLLECTION OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DATA

II/ COLLECTION OF SECONDARY DATA

Secondary data means data that are already available i.e., they refer to the data which have already been collected and analysed by someone else. When the researcher utilises secondary data, then he has to look into various sources from where he can obtain them. In this case he is certainly not confronted with the problems that are usually associated with the collection of original data. Secondary data may either be published data or unpublished data. Usually published data are available in:

(a) various publications of the central, state are local governments;

(b) various publications of foreign governments or of international bodies and their subsidiary organisations;

(c) technical and trade journals;

(d) books, magazines and newspapers;

(e) reports and publications of various associations connected with business and industry, banks, stock exchanges, etc.;

(f) reports prepared by research scholars, universities, economists, etc. in different fields; and

(g) public records and statistics, historical documents, and other sources of published information. The sources of unpublished data are many; they may be found in diaries, letters, unpublished biographies and autobiographies and also may be available with scholars and research workers, trade associations, labour bureaus and other public/ private individuals and organisations.

Researcher must be very careful in using secondary data. He must make a minute scrutiny because it is just possible that the secondary data may be unsuitable or may be inadequate in the context of the problem which the researcher wants to study. In this connection Dr. A.L. Bowley very aptly observes that it is never safe to take published statistics at their face value without knowing their meaning and limitations and it is always necessary to criticise arguments that can be based on them. By way of caution, the researcher, before using secondary data, must see that they possess following characteristics:

1. Reliability of data:

The reliability can be tested by finding out such things about the said data:

(a) Who collected the data?

(b) What were the sources of data?

(c) Were they collected by using proper methods

(d) At what time were they collected?(e) Was there any bias of the compiler? (t) What level of accuracy was desired? Was it achieved ?

2. Suitability of data:

The data that are suitable for one enquiry may not necessarily be found suitable in another enquiry. Hence, if the available data are found to be unsuitable, they should not be used by the researcher. In this context, the researcher must very carefully scrutinise the definition of various terms and units of collection used at the time of collecting the data from the primary source originally. Similarly, the object, scope and nature of the original enquiry must also be studied. If the researcher finds differences in these, the data will remain unsuitable for the present enquiry and should not be used.

3. Adequacy of data:

If the level of accuracy achieved in data is found inadequate for the purpose of the present enquiry, they will be considered as inadequate and should not be used by the researcher. The data will also be considered inadequate, if they are related to an area which may be either narrower or wider than the area of the present enquiry.

FINDING AND REVIEWING THE LITERATURE

The most important reason for doing research is to produce new knowledge and understanding, and to disseminate it to make it available to everyone. When planning a research project, it is essential to know what the current state of knowledge is in your chosen subject as it is obviously a waste of time to spend months producing knowledge that is already freely available. Therefore, one of the first steps in planning a research project is to do a literature review: that is, to trawl through all the available information sources in order to track down the latest knowledge, and to assess it for relevance, quality, controversy and gaps. The last two will indicate where additional research is required – to try to resolve a controversy or to fill a gap. This chapter explains where to find the necessary information and how to analyse it and present it so that you can devise a solid basis for your research project.

LIBRARIES

Your university or college library – this should be your first choice. Here you will find a huge amount of information and also about all the other information sources listed below. There are also specialist libraries, such as subject libraries in university departments, professional libraries in professional institutions, technical libraries in technical (research) establishments. Local libraries sometimes have special collections of local interest. Try to get the latest publications, unless you have special reasons not to, e.g. historical studies. The information in fast moving subjects, such as management, business, science and technology will become rapidly obsolete, but in the humanities older publications can have lasting value. It is no longer sufficient just to visit the shelves to see what is there, even if you have consulted the online catalogue first. There will be a wide range of electronic resources and search facilities provided backed up by training sessions and leaflets in the use of these. Being adept at making searches will save you lots of time and frustration, as well as ensuring that you get hold of all the latest information you need.

INFORMATION SERVICES

Government departments such as Standards Institutes, Records Offices, Statistical Offices provide information for the public. Pressure groups and voluntary organizations often produce publications about their work. Research establishments, professional and trade organizations also release details about latest research.

MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES – NATIONAL AND LOCAL

Apart from the exhibits, museums and galleries usually produce a range of printed and electronic information. They may also have many artefacts that are in store and only accessible by arrangement. Private collections of historical records and artefacts might be found.

PEOPLE

There are experts in every field. Some will be willing to advise you. Try the members of your own university staff at first, many of whom will be involved in research. Your library will contain guides to professionals and experts. In some cases, local knowledge will be needed – search out the relevant local experts (e.g. local historians, social workers, ornithologists etc.).

THE INTERNET

The full gamut of the World Wide Web. With thousands of pages being added every day, the World Wide Web (WWW) is the biggest single source of information in the world. However, the content is of extremely variable quality, and the biggest challenge when using it is to track down good quality material. You can easily waste hours trawling through rubbish in search of the goodies. Careful use of search terms helps to eliminate the trash. Usually, the more precise your search parameters, the more manageable the search results will be. Not all information on the WWW is free. Published Internet guides can help you to make the best of this resource (try your library for lists devoted to subject areas). Some are specifically aimed at students and list useful search engines, sites and databases. Any Internet guide becomes quickly outdated. Specialized search engines such as Google Scholar will filter out much of the dross by listing academic and technical papers from proven sources.

DOING A LITERATURE REVIEW

The oft-repeated instruction to ‘do a literature review' belies some of the complexities of the task. But why should you do one? The review that forms part of research proposal, paper, thesis or dissertation is an important introduction to the research project and underpins the argument about why the project is worth doing. It therefore forms a distinctly recognizable section near the beginning and leads on to the more specific and practical description of the research activities. In the dissertation or thesis, usually, one of the first chapters consists of a critical appraisal of the research literature relevant to the research subject under consideration. This is a more extended version of what is required for a proposal. Doing a literature review means not only tracking down all the relevant information but also taking a critical position on the ideas contained therein. The latter is an important step in determining the quality of research evidence. The process involves an objective critique and evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of a document, to determine its design quality and merits, and its relevance for your research topic. You will need to evaluate and consider the relevance of the document to your own dissertation question and study objectives. The literature review will need to be carried out in four major directions, not just narrowly confined to your specific subject area. Here they are, arranged from the general to the particular, their relative importance depending on the nature of your subject:

  • Research theory and philosophy – to establish the intellectual context(s) of research related to your subject.

  • History of developments in your subject – to trace the background to present thinking.

  • Latest research and developments in your subject – to inform about the current issues being investigated and the latest thinking and practice, to discuss the conflicting arguments, and to detect a gap in knowledge.

  • Research methods – to explore practical techniques that have been used, particularly those that might be relevant to your project.

Here is a checklist of useful points for your review:

  • Compile an overview of the literature to illustrate the interplay of ideas and major steps in the development of your subject.

  • Introduce the important issues of your research problem through the analysis of the literature.

  • Explain the general theoretical background to help the reader understand the attitudes behind the reviewed literature and your own philosophical stance.

  • Make links across discipline boundaries when doing an interdisciplinary review, rather than keeping each separate and examined in turn. You may even suggest some new links that need to be investigated.

  • Include some account of how the previous research was done, so that you have a precedent for your own approach to methodology.

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