[Informatics] Secondary data

Wed Dec 7 11:10:53 AEDT 2016

I had a chat with Paula and some other gurus about this the other day.
Mark you are right expect the SAT always uses the term “primary data sources”  which to me is confusing.

We came to the conclusion that primary data sources are where you find raw, unprocessed data, like BOM hourly rainfall or temperature observations. You don’t have to get a rain gauge out to have a primary data source. Of course they can be where you measure it yourself as well. (I would call that primary data collection)

Secondary data sources are where you find processed data, like averages, or opinions or YouTube clips on your topic.

Cheers,
Heath

From: informatics-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:informatics-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Mark
Sent: Tuesday, 6 December 2016 10:17 PM
To: Year 12 VCE Informatics Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Informatics] Secondary data

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<mailto: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

Senior Years ICT Teacher

Senior Years Digital Learning Leader

Manor Lakes P-12 College

2-50 Minindee Road

Wyndham Vale Victoria 3024

poke.michael.c at edumail.vic.gov.au<mailto:poke.michael.c at edumail.vic.gov.au>

P.(03)97414202  F.(03)97411420

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--

Mark Kelly

mark at vceit.com<mailto:mark at vceit.com>
http://vceit.com

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