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Applying material from Item C and your knowledge of research methods, evaluate the strengths and limitations of using secondary data to investigate the academic progress of pupils in schools - AQA - A-Level Sociology - Question 5 - 2021 - Paper 1
Question 5
Applying material from Item C and your knowledge of research methods, evaluate the strengths and limitations of using secondary data to investigate the academic prog... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Applying material from Item C and your knowledge of research methods, evaluate the strengths and limitations of using secondary data to investigate the academic progress of pupils in schools - AQA - A-Level Sociology - Question 5 - 2021 - Paper 1
Step 1
Evaluate the strengths of using secondary data
Answer
Using secondary data offers several key strengths:
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Access to Large Datasets: Secondary data provides access to extensive datasets that might be difficult or costly to collect independently. This volume allows for robust statistical analyses and enhances the reliability of findings.
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Time and Cost Efficiency: Collecting primary data can be time-consuming and expensive. Secondary data is often readily available and can be utilized almost immediately, saving resources.
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Longitudinal Studies: Secondary data may extend over long periods, enabling researchers to analyze trends in academic progress across different cohorts of pupils, which is invaluable for understanding changes over time.
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Reduced Ethical Concerns: Using data that is already anonymized and in the public domain mitigates ethical concerns related to privacy or consent that are often associated with primary data collection.
Step 2
Evaluate the limitations of using secondary data
Answer
However, there are notable limitations to consider as well:
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Relevance Issues: The secondary data collected may not align perfectly with the specific research questions or the demographic characteristics of the study being conducted. For example, if data collected does not include certain groups of pupils, findings may be biased.
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Quality and Accuracy: The reliability of secondary data can vary significantly. There is often no way to verify the methods used to collect the data, posing questions about its accuracy and validity.
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Selectivity and Presentation Issues: The way data is presented can influence interpretation. Data may be selected to highlight certain outcomes while omitting others, which can skew perceptions of academic progress.
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Limited Control Over Data: Researchers have no control over how the data was originally collected, which limits their ability to address potential confounding factors that could influence the findings.