Secondary sources continuum

Positivists use methods of data collection that will produce statistical data. It will enable them to look for patterns and trends and to draw comparisons between one group and another.

Interpretivists also use secondary data, but they are more likely to use expressive documents.

Material from the mass media is likely to be somewhere between the two on the continuum.

Go back to the table on your printed task sheet and in the second column, identify who is most likely to use the particular type of data – a positivist or an interpretivist.

In the third column, identify the extent to which the type of data might be said to be reliable, and in the fourth column, identify the extent to which the type of data might be said to be high in validity.

Note that a major source of all secondary data in the 21^st century is the internet. This could be access to statistics on official sites, or expressive documents, such as diaries, letters and paintings.