ABSTRACT
The data that is used by sociologists may be ‘primary’ or ‘secondary’. Primary data is collected first hand by the sociological researcher, mainly through the use of research methods such as surveys, interviews, or participant observation. Secondary data is evidence used by sociologists as part of their research which has been produced for non-sociological reasons, either by organizations such as the state or by individuals. This type of secondary data usually takes the form of official statistics and various types of ‘documents’.
