COLLECTION OF PRIMARY AND

SECONDARY DATA

Chapter 2
 WHAT IS A STATISTICAL ENQUIRY

Statistical enquiry means a search conducted by statistical

methods. Therefore a statistical inquiry means statistical
investigation or statistical survey. The facts collected from
this enquiry are either described by:
• degree of expression (quality)
• or degree of figures or magnitude (quantity)
Important terms
Respondents – people from whom statistical information is
collected
Survey – a method of collecting information
 S O U RC E O F DATA

PRIMARY DATA – Primary data is the data which is originally

collected by an investigator or agency for the first time for
some specific purpose.
Ex: population census conducted by GOI

SECONDARY DATA – the data which is not directly collected but

rather obtained from the published or unpublished sources, is
known as Secondary Data
Ex: National Accounts Statistics published by the CSO
 DIRECT PERSONAL INTERVIEW

Direct personal investigation is the method in which data are collected by the
investigator personally from sources concerned.

MERITS:- DEMERITS:-
1.this method ensures high degree of accuracy. 1.this method requires a long time an
involves enormous cost.
2.collected data are uniform because they are
collected by one person. 2.this method is lengthy and complex.
3. in this method can be used only if field
3.original data are collected by this method.
of inquiry is small.
4.comparative study is possible.
4.this method is highly prone to personal
bias of the investigator.
 INDIRECT PERSONAL INTERVIEW

This method is used when the interviewee is reluctant to provide data .

Investigators are appointed who appoint local agents to different parts of the investigation and
these local agents collects the data and pass it to the investigator time to time.

MERITS:- DEMERITS:-
• This method is suitable when the area of the
investigation is large and large amount of data can be
1. Data collected from third party so
collected. may not be correct
• This method doesn’t take so much time but it requires 2. Evidences collected from other
much money. people may exaggerate the
• Data collected from third party so free of bias problem
• Wide range and different aspects of the problem can be
covered
 TELEPHONE INTERVIEW

Telephone interview is a data collection method when the interviewer communicates with the
respondent on the telephone in accordance with the prepared questionnaire. Usually, standardised
questionnaires with closed-ended questions are recommended for this kind of questioning.

MERITS:- DEMERITS:-
• Cheaper than personal interview
1. Information cannot be collected
• Conducted in a shorter period of time from people who do not have their
• Investigator can make sure that the respondent own phones
understands the question
2. Non verbal cues are not available
• Some respondents find these interviews better than
face to face ones
• Useful for conducting inquiry over a large area
 INFORMATION FROM
CORRESPONDENT

In this method local agents or correspondents are appointed in different parts of the
investigation area. These agents regularly supply information to the central officer.
Ex radio & newspaper agencies

MERITS:- DEMERITS:-
• comparatively cheap 1. data is not original
• Gives results easily and promptly 2. Approximate results
• Can cover a wide area of investigation 3. biased
 SORT INTO PRIMARY AND
SECONDARY DATA

• Diary
• Social media posts
• Audio/video recording
• Trade publications
• Fact books
• Surveys
• Paintings
• Live reporting by a news
• Encyclopedias channel
• Speeches • Footage of CCTV cameras
• Letters • Paraphrased quotations
• Census data • Magazine articles
• Biographies
 MAILED QUESTIONNAIRES

A list of questions related to a specific inquiry is called a questionnaire. These questionnaires are usually
sent by post with prepaid postage or emailed to the respondent. If necessary, an assurance is given that
the answers will be be kept confidential. The success of this method depends upon how questionnaires can
be drafted.

MERITS:- DEMERITS:-
• a large field can be studied where informants 1. respondents may not be cooperative
are set in a wide geographical area 2. The questionnaires sent back may be
• Comparatively cheaper than personal incomplete/inaccurate
interview 3. Delay in replying
• Original data can be obtained 4. This method will work only when the
• It is free from the bias of the investigator respondents are educated
 QUESTIONNAIRES FILLED BY
ENUMERATORS

Mailed questionnaire method may pose a lot of difficulties therefore research organizations use
the enumerator method. These enumerators are trained investigators who fill the questionnaire
on behalf of the respondent (known as schedule)
These investigators are trained for conducting specific inquiries and also trained to deal with
different people tactfully

MERITS:- DEMERITS:-

• cover wider area 1. Expensive – usually used by

government
• personal contact
2. Time consuming
• true and reliable data
3. Supervision of enumerators required
• can be adopted where respondents
are illiterate 4. Without good training the results
may be vague
• completeness
QUESTIONNAIRES
 DRAFTING A
QUESTIONNAIRE

Following are the basic principles of drafting a

questionnaire
• Covering letter – aims and objectives of the
survey
• Number or questions – Minimum no of questions
and lengthy questions to be divided in parts
• Personal questions should be avoided
• The questions should be simple and clear
• The questions should be arranged logically
• Instructions to the informants regarding filling
and returning should be clear
• Larger questions should be divided onto smaller
sections under different heads and subheads
 DRAFTING A QUESTIONNAIRE

• The questions should be directly related to the point

• Avoidance of leading question
• Attractive layout
• Avoidance of calculation questions
• Avoidance of debatable questions
• Cross checks – Ex. Age and DOB
• Pre testing with a small group before rolling out
 TYPES OF QUESTIONS

Open-ended questions give your respondents

the freedom to answer in their own words,
instead of limiting their response to a set of
pre-selected choices (such as multiple-choice
answers, yes/no answers, 0-10 ratings, etc.).
Examples of open-ended questions:
• What other products would you like to see
us offer?
• If you could change just one thing about
our product, what would it be?
 TYPES OF QUESTIONS

Closed-ended survey questions Nominal Questions

Closed-end questions limit a A nominal question is a type of survey
user’s response options to a question that presents people with
set of pre-selected choices.
multiple answer choices; the answers
This broad category of
questions includes:
are non-numerical in nature and don't
overlap (unless you include an ‘all of the
• Nominal questions above’ option).
• Likert scale questions
Example of nominal question:
• Rating scale questions
What are you using [product name] for?
• ‘Yes’ or ‘no’ questions 1. Business
2. Personal use
3. Both business and personal use
Likert Scale question Rating Scale question
The Likert scale is typically a 5- or 7- point Rating scale questions are questions
scale that evaluates a respondent’s level of where the answers map onto a numeric
agreement with a statement or the intensity scale (such as rating customer support
of their reaction towards something.
on a scale of 1-5, or likelihood to
Example of Likert-type questions: recommend a product from 0 to 10).
How strongly do you agree with the following
Examples of rating questions:
statement:
[company’s] payment process is simple and • How likely are you to recommend us
painless. to a friend or colleague on a scale of
1 - Strongly disagree 0-10?
2 - Somewhat disagree
3 - Neither agree nor disagree • How would you rate our customer
4 - Somewhat agree service on a scale of 1-5?
5 - Strongly agree
Yes and No Questions
These questions are super-
straightforward: they require
a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ reply.
Examples of Yes/No questions:
• Was this article useful? (Yes/No)
• Did you find what you were
looking for today? (Yes/No)
 Nominal questions Rating scale questions

Likert scale questions

 SECONDARY DATA
COLLECTION
Published sources
• Government publications
• Publications of international organizations (WHO, IMF,
UNO)
• Semi government publications (municipalities, district
boards etc. reports on birth, death, sanitation etc.)
• Reports of committees and commissions (pay
commission report)
• Private publications
• Journals and newspapers
• Research institutions
• Professional trade bodies - Professional and trade
associations are membership organizations, usually non-
profit, which serve the interests of members who share a
common field of activity.
• Annual reports of joint stock companies
• Articles, market review and reports
• Publication of research institutes where they publish findings of
their research.
• ICAR – Indian council of agricultural research
• ISI – Indian Statistical institute
• NCERT – National council for education research and training
Unpublished data
Data collected but not published by:
• Research institutions
• Trade associations
• Universities
• Labour bureaus
• Research workers and scholars
 IMPORTANT SOURCES OF SECONDARY DATA

• CENSUS OF INDIA
Population Census is the total process of collecting, compiling,
analysing or otherwise disseminating demographic, economic and
social data pertaining, at a specific time, of all persons in a country
or a well-defined part of a country. As such, the census provides
snapshot of the country's population and housing at a given point of
time.
The census of India provides the complete and continuous
demographic record of population.
Data concerning each and every item or unit (individual factory, shop
etc.) is collected. ... In this, data are collected about every item of
universe relating to the problem under investigation, e.g. Population
data are collected by census method after every 10 years.
• NATIONAL SAMPLE SURVEY ORGANISATION
The NSSO was established by the Govt. of India to
conduct nation wide survey on socio-economic issues
like employment, literacy, maternity, child
care, utilization of public distribution system etc.
The data-collected by NSSO survey are released through
reports and its quarterly journal ‘’Sarvekshana’’.
E.g. Size, growth rate, distribution of population,
density, population, projections, sex composition and
literacy.
• These data are used by govt. of India for planning
purpose.