Week 7: Using Secondary Data Sets

In this weeks blog I will be looking at the ways in which secondary data can be used in social science research.  I will consider the benefits and limitations of secondary data sets and explore the ways in which secondary data can be used to support sociological research.

Secondary data analysis is defined by Heaton as 'the re-use of pre-existing qualitative data derived from previous research studies. [This includes] material such as semistructured interviews, responses to open-ended questions in questionnaires, field notes and research diaries' (Heaton 2008:34).  Secondary data sets may comprise qualitative and/or quantitative data (Dale et al 1988; Corti et al 1995).  This type of data may be collected by method of sample surveys yet such data can also be collated from ethnography based field notes, 'coding sheets from content analysis, or results collected in experiments'(Sobal 1981:150).



Secondary data has  numerous benefits within sociological research.  Bryman states that secondary data is often high quality and time and cost effective as it 'offers the prospect of having access to good quality data for a tiny fraction of the resources involved in carrying out a data collection exercise yourself' (Bryman 2001:197).  Bryman also argues that analyzing secondary data is less time consuming as primary data collection is often more expensive and timely (ibid p.199).   

Despite the benefits of secondary data, using such data sets can have its limitations.  Bryman does understand the limitations of analyzing secondary data.  Bryman postulates that secondary data sets are limiting as they are not controlled by the researcher, who cannot add to or amend the existing questions and available data, and they can appear unfamiliar to researchers who have not   penned the original analysis (Bryman 2001:200).  

Secondary data may tend to reflect understandings that are dependent on time and space, and historical understandings.  Therefore when using secondary data it is important to understand the historical time frame in which the data was collected, in order to enable a more historically minded understanding of the data sets.

One limitation of using secondary data is concerned with the 'unfamiliar' nature of the information that is being analyzed.  In this respect secondary data could be considered as 'disembodied' where the use of secondary data is situated as  decontextualized information that the researcher is somewhat removed from (Murphy and Schlaerth 2010:382).



The use of secondary data brings up questions regarding ethical and legal concerns.  Issues surrounding the gaining of consent and the safe keeping of data must be considered.  The ways in which information will be anonomized, retained, shared with others and re-used and 'how to act in accordance with laws on copyright and data protection' are all important when considering the benefits and limitations of secondary data analysis (Corti, Day and Backhouse 2000).

Considering issues of confidentiality when using personal data the Data Protection Act (1998) has been instrumental in protecting individual identities.  Despite this, information  that is used in research is exempt from much of the restrictions set in place by the Act.  In this respect 'research data may be processed for purposes other than those for which they were originally obtained, they can be held indefinitely, and research subjects do not necessarily have right of access to [such] data' (Parry and Mauthner 2004:143).  

Parry and Mauthner go on to emphasize that the removal of key personal identifiers in order to protect individual identities can damage the quality and integrity of secondary data sets.  According to Parry and Mauthner 'In qualitative studies of the work–family [life].....the withdrawal of information about employment history, status and family composition [limits] the usefulness of the data' (Parry and Mauthner 2004:144).

Drawing conclusions it is apparent that the use of secondary data in sociological research has both benefits and limitations that should be considered when undertaking research projects.  The use of secondary data is time and cost effective and the information held is usually high quality yet the use of such data has raised issues concerning confidentiality and ethical issues.  Secondary data also represents 'unknown' data to the researcher, which may manifest as a lack of familiarity with the data sets that are to be examined, and which precludes the researcher from modifying the data or adding their own survey questions.