[Informatics] Secondary data

[Mark]

Hi Michael.

OK. Re-reading your original post (seven months later) makes me realise
that I missed your point entirely.

*Secondary* data is created by people other than the researcher (regardless
of its format - e.g. websites, infographics, other research.)

*Primary* data is original : designed, gathered, coded and interpreted by
the researcher for a specific, tailored purpose.

Data or information gathered from *other* people's efforts is secondary -
even if it *is* raw data. You, the user, may have no idea what sorts of
loaded or leading questions were asked to gather that raw data, how the
sample respondents were selectively chosen, or how the data were validated,
fudged, or cherry-picked to prove a point. Data collected by someone else
may be 'raw' but it does not mean it is authentic, genuine, accurate,
complete, unbiased, or trustworthy.

Also - for example - do you count someone else's calculated *average* as
"raw data" or "information"?
Any processing - even a simple 'average' - processes raw data into summary
information - and we all know there are *three* different types of
statistical average that can significantly and deliberately skew raw data
into information that is convenient for the researcher.

In short...

- If *you, the researcher* did not do the interviews or write and conduct
the surveys, you are using *secondary* data.
- To collect *primary data*, one has to use one's own original surveys,
questionnaires, observation, sensors, etc.**

My 1.8 cents' worth (end-of-year sale! I have lots more unsold advice going
cheaply! Enquire now! Beat the new year price rises!)

I'd be happy to hear of differing interpretations of key knowledge.
Classes have basically finished.
You and I have time for a five minute argument
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y>*.

Mark

* This link is dedicated to a good friend of mine on this list who
confesses that she does not understand Monty Python.
I ask you all to wish the poor lass well in her recovery. I fear that she
may not even know the bandwidth of African or even European Swallows.

** This is where it gets a bit murky. One might well argue that you can use
secondary data to generate new and original primary data for a new purpose.
For example, summarising 100 years of death notices in newspapers to track
average life expectancies over time. The old newspapers were secondary
sources, but when used their information is used to derive new and original
data for a new purpose, they would be considered primary sources.

OK. It's not as black and white as most students hope it will be.
Let's just tell them that primary data = home-grown survey, questionnaire,
observation.
Secondary data is data from everywhere else.

Room 12A is free.

On 20 May 2016 at 09:27, Poke, Michael C <poke.michael.c at edumail.vic.gov.au>
wrote:











Hi all,

Forgive me if this has already been discussed, but just wanting to check,
can secondary data include information from websites such as infographics,
findings from other research, quotable quotes, or does it have to be
entirely made up of raw,

unprocessed data?  Sorry for posting what seems like a amateurish question.













Cheers,


Michael












*Michael Poke*




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