[Year 12 Its] Primary vs Secondary Data Sources
Kevin Feely
feely.kevin.k at edumail.vic.gov.au
Mon May 23 09:20:04 EST 2005
Hi All,
The thing is that from my view the Q part i cannot be answered without
more information, and from the comments in this thread there appears to
be about half a dozen different explanations for primary and secondary.
regards
Kevin
Robert Timmer-Arends wrote:
>Hello Kevork and Paul
>
>I understand the need for students knowing these things in light of the
>exam, but I'm interested in the larger issue of whether the exam should ask
>these kind of questions in the first place. It seems to me that a
>consequence of the short answer format is that definitional questions end up
>being included - and they have their place, but, when it comes to
>hairsplitting, why is being able to identify documentation as being one or
>the other important? Another interpretation of the study design is to say
>that the writers wrote 'primary and secondary data sources' for the sake of
>completeness rather than for the sake of having the students being able to
>identify documentation as being primary or secondary.
>
>What has interested me in this thread is that this kind of issue has come up
>a number of times in both IS and IPM for different pairs of words and it
>seems to me that every time it has, it has been in the light of assessment
>and allocating a mark to something a student has written. What concerns me
>is that I wonder whether assessment of this kind is forcing us to spend time
>on trivialities at the expense of coming to grips with more important ideas.
>
>Regards
>Robert T-A
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Kevork Krozian" <Kroset at novell1.fhc.vic.edu.au>
>To: <is at edulists.com.au>
>Sent: Friday, May 20, 2005 11:08 AM
>Subject: RE: [Year 12 Its] Primary vs Secondary Data Sources
>
>
>
>
>>Hi Paul,
>>
>> Thanks for stating the obvious.
>>The discussion is not about splitting hairs.
>>I am the first person to dismiss arbitrary tags around data source
>>
>>
>definitions and get to the important data to modify a system or design a new
>one.
>
>
>>The post that started this thread referred to SAC32.
>>SAC 32 , Key knowledge dot point 4 states:
>>. primary and secondary data sources and data acquisition methods to
>>
>>
>conduct the analysis, including direct observation, surveys, interviews,
>system and program documentation, logs;
>
>
>> 2004 IT Systems Exam Question 2 states:
>>Question 2 Identify each of the following data sources as primary or
>>
>>
>secondary.
>
>
>>i. The technical documentation of a software program
>>
>>ii. The error log of an information system
>>
>> I would have thought these are examinable ( based on the above ) and as
>>
>>
>a minimum we , as teachers would agree what each means and could justify it
>based on agreed definitions for the sake of the students. Nothing more,
>nothing less.
>
>
>>If it is too hard to agree and we now wish to rewrite the Study Design in
>>
>>
>terms of what it "should" look like, then .... there is nothing more to say.
>
>
>>Best Wishes
>>Kevork
>>
>>
>>
>>>>>bicknell.paul.p at edumail.vic.gov.au 05/20/05 09:38am >>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>We need to be clear on the definitions because it is part of the
>>
>>
>curriculum of IS and in the exam
>
>
>>________________________________
>>
>>From: is-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Robert Timmer-Arends
>>Sent: Thu 5/19/2005 7:46 PM
>>To: Year 12 Information Technology Systems Teachers' Mailing List
>>Subject: Re: [Year 12 Its] Primary vs Secondary Data Sources
>>
>>
>>
>>Taking up Mike's point from before, I wonder if we are starting to get too
>>hung up on definitions. What is more important: that a student can define
>>the difference between primary and secondary data; or that the student can
>>identify the most useful sources of data for a given situation?
>>
>>Regards
>>Robert T-A
>>Brighton SC
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Bicknell, Paul P" <bicknell.paul.p at edumail.vic.gov.au>
>>To: "Year 12 Information Technology Systems Teachers' Mailing List"
>><is at edulists.com.au>
>>Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2005 2:13 PM
>>Subject: RE: [Year 12 Its] Primary vs Secondary Data Sources
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>________________________________
>>>
>>>From: is-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Kevork Krozian
>>>Sent: Thu 5/19/2005 12:25 PM
>>>To: is at edulists.com.au
>>>Subject: Re: [Year 12 Its] Primary vs Secondary Data Sources
>>>In the context of the following
>>>
>>>< Many texts make the distinction between primary and secondary as not
>>>
>>>
>the
>
>
>>amount of "interpretation" or "reworking" of <the data as the criterion
>>
>>
>for
>
>
>>it transforming to secondary data, but the level of separation from the
>>Information System in <question. Eg. Building Information Systems
>>Fitzpatrcik et al p 107 -- " .. primary data directly from the people and
>>documents <associated with the information system and its problems.
>>Secondary data is collected from people and documents one step <removed
>>
>>
>and
>
>
>>not directly linked to the information system and its problems".
>>
>>
>>>I think the "information system and its problems" is in the context of a
>>>
>>>
>>project of investigation, for example the marketing department may carry
>>
>>
>out
>
>
>>a customer satisfaction survey and this would be considered secondary
>>because it was carried out by a group not directly involver withe the
>>information system maintenance.
>>
>>
>>>And a computer log is primary because the human role in collection is
>>>
>>>
>not
>
>
>>direct and not interpreted and it is collected directly from the
>>
>>
>information
>
>
>>system that is being investigated
>>
>>
>>>Primary data:
>>>Data that has been collected by yourself (or project team)
>>>
>>> Secondary data:
>>>data that has been collected by others, who maybe employed by the same
>>>
>>>
>>company but the data collection methods have not been directly under
>>
>>
>control
>
>
>>of yourself or the project team.
>>
>>
>>>The amount of processing is not important but rather who controlled the
>>>
>>>
>>collection, for example a survey by me or people managed by me is primary
>>but a identical survey by other than me or managed by me is secondary. Me
>>being head of the project or team. The interpretation methods and extent
>>
>>
>of
>
>
>>data transformation may be identical but the deciding factor is who did
>>
>>
>it.
>
>
>>If you and you team did not carry out the survey the results automatically
>>become less reliable and deemed a secondary source of data.
>>
>>
>>>
>>>
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>
>
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>>IT Systems Mailing List kindly supported by
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>and
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>Association Inc
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>>_______________________________________________
>>http://www.edulists.com.au
>>IT Systems Mailing List kindly supported by
>>http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
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>and
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>>http://www.vitta.org.au - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers
>>
>>
>Association Inc
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>_______________________________________________
>http://www.edulists.com.au
>IT Systems Mailing List kindly supported by
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