Evaluating Secondary Data Sources for Social Analysis
Criteria for Assessing Secondary Data Sources
Evaluating Secondary Statistics for Analysis
The ideal secondary source is accessible, reports data on the same social phenomenon and population being analyzed, and the data falls within the intended time interval. It also meets appropriate methodological conditions. These are difficult circumstances to fulfill in an investigation.
Source Availability
One key criterion is the source’s public or private function. Public data sources are more accessible and tend to emphasize formal aspects. They also often publish methodological details, which is vital for evaluation and use by analysts.
Private data sources, not intended for public use, are less accessible. The secondary observer needs to know of their existence, contact the responsible agency, and secure their cooperation.
Data availability also depends on the format. Data is commonly found in tabular form on paper, which has limited availability, or digitally, which promotes access.
Whether in paper or digital format, data is often presented in tables, referring to groups under a category rather than individuals. Homogeneity is achieved through common social categories, such as residence, sex, age, and occupation. Aggregate data on the characteristics of a complete social group is more than a simple sum of elements. The aggregate is defined by common criteria for the elements, moving from the definition of the set to observation, a deductive logical analysis.
From this perspective, aggregate data analysis units are indicators reflecting the state of a collective, such as the percentage of unemployed among active women in a Spanish population.
Types of Analysis Units
The main types of analysis units are:
- Territorial: Defined by residence in a territory.
- Demographic: Defined by socio-characteristics.
- Mixed: Articulated from the above two.
Some sources offer data arrays in computer programs, properly anonymized. This allows researchers to analyze various aspects, work with different variables, combine them, and create new variables from the available data matrices. These are often accessible only to researchers in research institutes and universities.
Source Adequacy and Expertise
The adequacy of the secondary source to the research theme is a significant criterion for excellence. The secondary source’s expertise in both statistical production and the field of study is a guarantee for the researcher.
Researchers often use specialized secondary sources because they already have some knowledge of the field. A secondary source can become a standard reference in a field of social reality, such as the LFS for the Spanish labor market.
Credibility and Institutionalization
Expertise, credibility, and experience are three attributes of institutions that produce information sources. These attributes are difficult to separate and feed each other. A fourth attribute is the degree of social institutionalization of the agent. Official statistical sources are resourceful, but the work of private institutions, especially the most prestigious, should not be overlooked.
Social adequacy is important, especially for research designed to serve as a basis for action in specific, local contexts.