SECONDARY SOURCE

01 Programme BA
02 Subject Sociology
03 Semester III
04 University Gulbarga University, Kalaburagi
05 Session 39
 TOPIC: SECONDARY SOURCE
1. Introduction
2. Meaning of Secondary Source
3. Definitions of Secondary Source
4. Characteristics of Secondary Source
5. Methods of Secondary Source
6. Summary
RECAP
Sources of Secondary data include books,
personal sources, journal, newspapers,
websites, government record etc. Secondary
data are known to be readily available
compared to that of primary data. It requires
very little research and need for man power to
use these sources.
 LEARNING OBJECTIVITIES
 Explain the information about Secondary
Source of data

 To understand the purpose of data collection.

 Identify the methods of data collection.

SESSION OUTCOMES
• Students will be having an idea on how to
collect the secondary source.
• Students will be more benefited by listening
and understanding the secondary data.
• Students will able to understand the methods
of secondary data collection
• Identify the examples of secondary sources of
data.
INTRODUCTION
• Secondary data is collected by the researcher
from different documents. It consists of
information already collected for some other
purpose, by some one else other than the
researcher. When the researcher utilize the
secondary data then he has to look into
various sources from where he can obtain
them.
MEANING OF SECONDARY SOURCE
Secondary data means the data that are already
available i.e. they refer to the data which have
already been collected and analysed by
someone else.
Some examples of Secondary sources:
• Text books
• Journals and articles
• Dictionaries and encyclopedias
• Newspaper and website
• Government records.
DEFINITIONS OF SECONDARY SOURCE

Robertson and Wright – defines “Secondary

data are those already recorded for some other
purpose, but used in research project.”
CHARACTERISTICS OF SECONDARY SOURCE

The important characteristics of the

Secondary source are as follows:
1. Reliability of data
2. Suitability of data
3. Adequacy of data
1. Reliability of data
The reliability can be tested by finding out such things
about the said data :
a. Who collected the data?
b. What were the sources of data?
c. Were they collected by using proper methods
d. At what time were they collected?
e. Was there any bias of the compiler?
f. What level of accuracy was desired?
g. Was it achieved
2. Suitability of data
The data that are suitable for one enquiry may not
necessarily be found suitable in another enquiry. Hence
if the available data are found to be unsuitable, they
should not be used by the researcher. In this context,
the researcher must very carefully scrutinize the
definition of various terms and units of collection used
at the time of collecting the data from the primary
source originally.
3. Adequacy of data
If the level of accuracy achieved in data is found
inadequate for the purpose of the present enquiry, they
will be considered as inadequate and should not be
used by the researcher. The data will also be considered
inadequate, if they are related to an area which may be
either narrower or wider than the area of the present
enquiry.
 METHODS OF SECONDARY SOURCE
Following are the popularly used Secondary research:
1. Data available on the internet
2. Government and non-Government agencies
3. Public Libraries
4. Educational Institutions
5. Commercial information sources
1. Data available on the internet: 
One of the most popular ways of collecting secondary
data is using the internet. Data is readily available on
the internet and can be downloaded at the click of a
button.
2. Government and non-government agencies: 
Data for secondary research can also be collected from
some government and non-government agencies. For
example, US Government Printing Office, US Census
Bureau, and Small Business Development Centers have
valuable and relevant data that businesses or
organizations can use.
3. Public libraries: 
Public libraries are another good source to search for
data for secondary research. Public libraries have copies
of important research that were conducted earlier.
They are a storehouse of important information and
documents from which information can be extracted.
4. Educational Institutions:
Importance of collecting data from educational
institutions for secondary research is often overlooked.
However, more research is conducted in colleges and
universities than any other business sector.
5. Commercial information sources:
Local newspapers, journals, magazines, radio and TV
stations are a great source to obtain data for secondary
research. These commercial information sources have
first-hand information on economic developments,
political agenda, market research, demographic
segmentation and similar subjects.
SUMMARY :
The search of secondary data sources should
precede any primary research activity.
Secondary data may be sufficient to solve the
problem, or at least it helps the reader better
understand the problem under study .
Secondary data is cheaper and quicker to collect
than primary data and can be more accurate.
MCQ’S
Q 1) Secondary source means
A. A Secondary source is an original source
B. A data is collected by the different documents
C. A systematic viewing of a specific
phenomenon
D. None of the above

Ans. B
MCQ’S
Q 2) What are the characteristics of secondary
sources
A. Evolution and scope of data
B. Depth Interviews methods
C. Reliability of data
D. None of the above

Ans. C
MCQ’S
Q 3) What are the examples of secondary
sources?
A. Books, public documents and newspapers
B. Observations , interviews and questionnaire
C. Personal data and original data
D. None of the above

Ans. A
MCQ’S
Q 4) What is the method of secondary sources?
A. Tools, techniques of developments of measurement
B. Data available on the internet
C. A questionnaire is a research instrument
D. None of the above

Ans. B
MCQ’S
Q 5) What is the purpose of secondary sources?
A. Scheduled is an instrument of data collection
B. Secondary data can be used for reference
purpose
C. Determine the quality of research findings
D. None of the above

Ans. A
 REFERENCES
• Social Research Methods And Indian Society Issues And
Problems .-Ramchandra N.Joshi Sri Siddalingeshwara
Prakashana Kalburagi
• Theory And Practice In Social Research -Hansraj Surjeet
Publications
• Research Methods ,Ram Ahuja, Rawat Publication
• Samajashastreeya Samshodhane Vidhanagalu-
C.N.Shankarrao, Jai Bharathpraskashana , Mangalore.
• Research Methodology-Methods and Techniques -
C .R .Kothari & Gaurav Garg , New Age International {P}
Limited , Publishers, New Delhi.
THANK YOU