How do sociologists plan research, and what kinds of data do they use?
The sociological research process and the main types of data: primary and secondary data, and quantitative and qualitative data, with their uses and limitations.
An SQA Higher Sociology answer on the research process and the types of data sociologists use. Covers the stages of a study from aim and hypothesis to conclusion, the difference between primary and secondary data and between quantitative and qualitative data, and the strengths and limitations of each type.
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What this dot point is asking
The SQA wants you to describe how sociologists plan a study and to explain the main types of data they use: primary and secondary, and quantitative and qualitative. Higher Sociology expects you to explain and evaluate research methods, so understanding the research process and the kinds of data is the foundation for everything else in this area.
The answer
The research process
Primary and secondary data
Quantitative and qualitative data
Linking data types to perspectives
The choice of data is not just practical; it reflects how a sociologist thinks society should be studied. Researchers who want measurable patterns tend to favour quantitative, often secondary, data, while those who want to understand meaning tend to favour qualitative, primary, data. This links the methods area to the perspectives in Human Society.
Examples in context
A study of attitudes to crime shows the data types in action. A researcher might begin with secondary quantitative data, official crime statistics, to see the overall pattern of recorded crime. To understand how people feel about crime in their area, they could then collect primary qualitative data through interviews, hearing residents describe their fears and experiences in their own words. Finally, a large primary questionnaire could gather quantitative data on how widespread those fears are. Using more than one type of data, triangulation, gives both the breadth of the statistics and the depth of the interviews, which is exactly the balance a strong methods answer should recognise.
Try this
Q1. Explain the difference between quantitative and qualitative data. [4 marks]
- Cue. Quantitative is numerical and counts how many; qualitative is descriptive and captures meaning, feelings and detail in people's own words.
Q2. Describe two strengths of secondary data. [4 marks]
- Cue. It is quicker and cheaper than collecting your own, and it can cover large populations or long periods of time.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA Higher specimen8 marksExplain the difference between primary and secondary data, using examples.Show worked answer →
An -mark "explain" question. Markers want a clear distinction developed with examples of each.
Primary data is information the researcher collects first-hand for their own study, for example through a questionnaire, interview or observation. Secondary data already exists, gathered by someone else, for example official statistics, documents or earlier research.
Develop the contrast by noting a benefit of each: primary data is tailored exactly to the research question, while secondary data is quicker and cheaper to obtain and can cover large populations. Two clear examples, one of each type, earn the developed marks.
SQA Higher 20196 marksDescribe the main stages of the sociological research process.Show worked answer →
A -mark "describe" question. Markers reward a clear, ordered account of the stages rather than a single sentence.
The process moves from choosing a topic and setting an aim, to forming a hypothesis or research question, to selecting a method and a sample, to a pilot study, to collecting the data, to analysing it, and finally to drawing conclusions and reporting the findings.
Develop the answer by noting why order matters, for example that the aim shapes the choice of method and sample. Naming the stages in sequence with a short comment on each earns full marks.
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Sources & how we know this
- SQA Higher Sociology Course Specification (C868 76) — SQA (2019)