Secondary analysis is a great addition to primary data obtained on a research.
Secondary analysis is a great addition to primary data obtained on a research. Secondary data can be found from many different sources such as: “newspaper and periodicals, organizational records and archives, videotapes of motion pictures and television programs, web pages, scientific records (e.g., patent applications), speeches of public figures, votes cast in elections or by legislators, as well as personal journals, diaries, e-mail, and correspondence” (Wienclaw, 2018). The great thing about secondary data and can be both quantitative and qualitative, also it can stand alone and hold its own weight on research or it could be combined with primary data or other gathered information based on your topic.
Secondary data is not all positive however; there some negative aspects of secondary data. Making sure your information comes from a credible source can play a huge role on the analysis gathered and whether or not the information can stand on its own two legs. “Unless one has collected the data oneself, it is virtually impossible to be completely confident in the quality of the data” (Wienclaw, 2018).
With all things, secondary data has pros and cons. The pros are very intriguing to me and the fact that you can research so many different types of data and gather your own information to collaborate a research project is fascinating to me. The cons are big to take into consideration. Writing research is a waste of time if your information is not factual, readers depend on your information to gather their own opinion on the topic they are looking into.