The Differences Between Qualitative, Quantitative, Primary and Secondary Data.

Introduction

As a student, you can’t avoid using qualitative, quantitative, primary, and secondary information in your assignments. This is why it is important to know how they are different. Knowing the differences between them will help you determine the ideal ones to use in different parts of various assignments. Also, you need to know the different sources to get them for your assignment.

As you are going to be doing a lot of assignments, it is very important to know these differences and sources. Knowing when to use one instead of the other will help you do your assignments better. In most cases, you will need a combination of different types, but you have to know how to combine them successfully. This article will give you vital information that will help you make those crucial decisions to smash your assignments.

How is Data different from information?

Data is a collection of raw and unprocessed statistics, facts, figures, and symbols that don’t have any meaning. They can be in various forms which include numbers, texts, audio, and video. Data becomes meaningful after organising, processing, and analysing it to draw conclusions. The conclusions drawn become information. Thus, information comes from processing and organising data in a way that is meaningful. When data is analysed, interpreted, and used in an appropriate context it is informative and insightful. Despite these differences, both terms are used interchangeably.

For example, the following list of letters and numbers is raw data without meaning:

312200052254P

213300022276D

233200042258P

212200032266M

313200012279D

When organised into student number, enrolment date, and grade below it becomes meaningful:

Student number	Enrolment date	Grade	Classification
313200	01/22	79	Distinction
213300	02/22	76	Distinction
212200	03/22	66	Merit
233200	04/22	58	Pass
312200	05/22	54	Pass

Several pieces of information becomes obvious from the organised data. We can see that the students that enrolled first performed better. This trend can be explored further for more insight. Also, looking at the classification, we can conclude that these are masters-level students if they were in the United Kingdom.

Sources of Data and information for assignments

There are many sources of data and information required to answer assignment questions. The type of question will determine the sources required. Below are some of the sources:

Social Media

Depending on the assignment question, social media platforms can be a useful source of information or data. They can be useful in some fields of study such as business and management, and social sciences. For example, TikTok videos can be analysed to determine the elements of a video that attracts generations Z and Alpha. Like traditional media, the information obtained from social media should be used with caution as it may not be credible.

Primary Research

Sometimes, the data required for an assignment may not be available. You will have to collect them. This is usually the case for some dissertation questions. In this case, surveys and questionnaires are ideal to collect primary data, especially from a large sample. Interviews and focus groups are other sources of primary information. They are useful when the required data is about peoples’ attitudes and experiences on specific topics.

Types of Information to Use for Assignment

There are several types of information that you can use for your assignments. The ideal types depends on the assignment type, question, and context. Below are some common types of data and information:

Qualitative and Quantitative Information

Qualitative data is descriptive in nature. It helps to better understand people’s attitudes, experiences, and opinions. Some examples of qualitative data are interview answers, focus group discussions, and open-ended survey answers. Unlike qualitative data, quantitative data is numerical, measurable, and quantifiable. If the data can be measured and quantified as it is, it is quantitative. Examples include financial data such as sales numbers, revenue, and profit. Other examples are test scores, employee numbers, inflation rate etc.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Characteristics	Qualitative Information	Quantitative Information
Meaning	Qualitative information can’t be measured as it is, except when manipulated. It is descriptive in nature such as attitudes, emotions, and behaviours.	Quantitative information is numerical, measurable, and quantifiable. It includes sales numbers, revenue, and profit.
Collection Method	The collection methods for qualitative information include interviews, observations and focus groups. It is normally subjective and non-numerical.	The collection methods for quantitative information include surveys and experiments. It is normally numerical and objective.
Usage	Qualitative information is useful when exploring complex issues. Examples are cultural practices and human behaviours.	Quantitative information is used to test hypotheses on known theories, explore relationships between variables and make predictions.
Analysis	The analysis of qualitative information includes the identification of trends, themes, and categories from the data. This can be based on subjective interpretation.	Statistical techniques and data modelling are used to identify trends and explore relationships when analysing quantitative data. This makes it more objective.
Sample	Qualitative information is normally derived from a small sample size. This makes the findings less generalisable to a larger population.	Quantitative information is normally derived from a larger sample size. This makes the findings more generalisable to a larger population.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Characteristics	Primary Information	Secondary Information
Meaning	Primary data is collected from the source, directly by the user, student, or researcher, for a specific purpose.	Secondary information has been collected by someone else, and used for another purpose, but is being used again by the student or researcher.
Collection Method	Primary data is collected directly from interviews, surveys, observations, and experiments.	Secondary information is sorted from sources such as articles, books, databases, and government reports
Collection Control	There is more control during the collection process. This ensures that the data is accurate and relevant for the purpose.	There is little or no control over the collection process. This means that the information quality may be assessed as well as adapted to suit the purpose.
Suitability	Primary data is collected to answer the specific question.	Secondary information is more general and may not fully answer the specific question.
Time and Cost	Collecting primary data takes more time and costs more, especially from a big sample size.	Secondary data generally takes less time as it’s been collected previously. It is mostly free or low cost in some cases.

Conclusion

These primary, secondary, qualitative, and quantitative information have their advantages and disadvantages. What constitutes an advantage or a disadvantage depends on several factors. Examples of these factors are the data user or student, what the data will be used for, the context, the situation, and the data requirements. Determining when and how to use the different types depends on several factors. These factors include the type of assignment, that is, is it a report, essay, or dissertation?

Other factors are the assignment question, the resources available to you, the purpose of the assignment, your knowledge and ability on using them etc. Having learnt their differences and sources, it is better to take the decision on when and how to use which on an assignment-by-assignment basis. Always take advantage of your strengths, available resources, and time to use whichever one you choose to successfully do your assignments. Learn how the information sources can be used in different types of assignments.

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