Secondary data

Existing information collected by someone else and used by a researcher in their investigation.

Second-hand information obtained from existing sources, such as public records or investigations published by other researchers, rather than collected directly for the current investigation.

Psychologists use data—information gathered to investigate behaviour and mental processes—to answer research questions. They may collect information directly from participants, or use information that already exists. This is the distinction between primary and secondary data: it concerns where the information comes from in relation to the investigation.

Pre-existing information that a researcher reuses rather than collecting first-hand for the current investigation.

For primary or secondary data, identify who collected it and whether the current researcher is collecting new data or reusing existing data. Publication alone is not the deciding factor.

Link strengths and weaknesses to the research described. Numerical data is not automatically reliable, and primary data is not automatically better than secondary data.

Existing information collected previously by someone else and used by a researcher in their investigation.

Where did it come from? This distinguishes primary from secondary data.

Definition

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AQA GCSE Psychology · 8182

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OCR GCSE Psychology · J203