22 Questions
What is the primary purpose of secondary research in relation to primary research?
To be fully aware of what others have studied in relation to the subject of interest
What is the main difference between secondary and primary research?
The source of the information
What is a potential challenge with government statistics/information source?
Clinical iceberg/fragile contexts
What is the primary advantage of using journals as a source of secondary information?
They are peer-reviewed
What is the main purpose of conducting primary research?
To collect original data from the field
What is the primary concern when using media sources, such as newspapers, as a source of secondary information?
Bias issues
What is the primary reason why Wikipedia may not be considered an academic source of secondary information?
It is not reliable and authentic
What is the primary advantage of using secondary research in a research design?
It saves time and resources
What is the primary benefit of using secondary research for clarifying a research question?
It helps to identify the research focus and subject area
What is a characteristic of the secondary research process?
It is a non-linear process where stages can be repeated as necessary
Which of the following is NOT an advantage of secondary research?
It allows for the collection of original data
What is meta-narrative mapping?
A type of literature review that examines the historical development of a research tradition
What is a systematic review?
A comprehensive and systematic review of existing data on a particular topic
Why might secondary research be preferred over primary research?
It is less intrusive on people's lives, especially on sensitive topics
What is a disadvantage of secondary research?
The data may be outdated or of poor quality
What is meta-analysis?
A statistical method of summarizing and comparing results of large numbers of quantitative studies
What is a limitation of published research articles?
They can be biased towards the views of publishers.
What is a characteristic of scientific experiments in primary research?
They are usually used in natural sciences.
What is a type of primary research method that involves gathering information on human behaviour?
Observations
What is a common use of interviews and focus group discussions in primary research?
To gather information on people's thoughts, attitudes or feelings.
Why is it important to assess the quality of information in research?
To ensure it is relevant to the research question.
What is a potential challenge of using questionnaires in primary research?
They may not reflect the true opinions of respondents.
Study Notes
Research Process
- Formulate hypothesis based on theory, research, or both
- Design the research
- Conduct the research
- Analyze the data
- Interpret the data as they relate to the research question
Secondary Research
- Uses information collected by others
- Involves using existing data from various sources
- Sources of information:
- Ward level data
- Books and e-books
- Journals (peer-reviewed)
- Media (newspapers, TV, radio)
- Think Tanks
- Government Departments
- Importance: integral part of primary research, helps researcher understand what others have studied in relation to their topic
- Challenges: potential bias in government statistics, ensuring credibility of sources
Secondary Research Process
- Identify subject domain and sources of information
- Search, collate, and gather existing data
- Compare data from different sources (if necessary)
- Analyze the data
- Ensure use of credible sources
Types of Secondary Research
- Literature Review
- Scoping review
- Narrative review
- Systematic Review
- Meta-narrative mapping
- Meta-analysis
Advantages of Secondary Research
- Relative ease of access to data
- Low cost
- Less intrusive on people's lives
- Clarifies research question and focus
- Addresses research question in well-researched subjects
- Provides valuable information at a low cost
Disadvantages of Secondary Research
- Quality of information needs constant assessment
- Information can be biased or outdated
- Research articles may be published long after original research
Primary Research: Methods of Data Collection
- Scientific experiments (natural sciences)
- Interviews (face-to-face, phone, or online)
- Questionnaires/surveys (large number of participants)
- Observations (gathering information on human behavior)
- Interviews and Focus group discussions (gathering information on thoughts, attitudes, or feelings)
Challenges in Primary Research
- Potential challenges to data collection methods
Test your knowledge of research methods, including secondary and primary research, data analysis and more. Learn about the research process and how to interpret data.
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