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Secondary Sources (Historical Documents (Census- A population count to a…
Secondary Sources
Historical Documents
Census- A population count to a specific area on a specific date, normally in years. The first ever modern census in the UK was in 1841. Because a census is data that involves statistical numbers, this makes it quantitative data. So that means positivists would use this type of secondary source as they believe in reliability in quantitative data
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Strengths and weaknesses
Practical strength- They should be more practical to find as there is no personal research or experiments to actually conduct. Practical weakness- Because historical census's are old, they may not be computerised so that means the only way to obtain them is physically. This could also be a problem as physical copies could be damaged or be missing pages. This means it will take the researcher time and money to find this information.
Ethical strength- Because census is publically shown and its quantitative data. That means there are never any ethical problems because no one is identified to be harmed.
Theoretical strength- Because its quantitative data and shows population in certain areas. A group of census could show trends over time and apply historical background towards them. Theoretical weakness- the methods of collecting that data might change, along with there being missing statistics which could cause less reliability.
Paintings and posters-Paintings depicting life in a different historical period can be useful to a sociologist. Along with posters that could involve propaganda and opinionated ideologies of that country and time. This means that paintings and posters are qualitative data as they don't have any numerical data but observational data. That's why interactionists use this type of secondary source, as they look for validity.
Strengths and weaknesses
Theoretical strength- They can give a historical point of view by showing what the artist may have seen and thought. Some paintings can depict historical events, such as battles. Theoretical weakness- sometimes we don't exactly know what the artist may have actually thought when painting, so it could be just a personification of an event instead of actual facts.
Practical strength- Most historical paintings and posters are on the internet so people can view them all over the world along with any information about them. Practical weakness- paintings can be easily damaged throughout time so we might not gain the full picture.
Ethical strength- Because the artist of historical paintings and posters are normally deceased and publically shown. There is normally never any problems in it being unethical.
Parish records-These are records of; baptisms, marriages and burials made by the church. Just like a census, parish records involve numerical data therefore its quantitative data. Which means positivists would use this data as its reliable.
Strengths and weaknesses
Theoretical strength- Because its quantitative data and shows important statistics, especially births and deaths. It can show trends throughout history that can coincide with specific events. Therefore it can show the impact it had on society. Theoretical weakness- depending on what country, there may not be any parish records along with countries that do have parish records. Not everyone is Christian and therefore doesn't go through the records.
Practical strength- They should be more practical to find as there is no personal research or experiments to actually conduct. Practical weakness- Because historical parish records are old, they may not be computerised so that means the only way to obtain them is physically. This could also be a problem as physical copies could be damaged or be missing pages. This means it will take the researcher time and money to find this information.
Ethical strength- Because parish records are publically shown and its quantitative data. That means there are never any ethical problems because no one is identified to be harmed.
Official statistics- These are statistics that are normally carried out by the government. They can collect many different subjects for data, for instance; crime, unemployment and economic statistics. These statistics are numerical data, which means they are quantitative. Positivists would use official statistics because of its reliability.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Practical strength- As its publically shown and normally accessible on the computer, it makes it very easy to obtain. Also because its quantitative, its very easy to analyse and can be presented in many different ways.
Theoretical strength- It can be useful to see trends over time and can be used for predictions. For instance it can help predict the economy in whether its going to go down or up. Theoretical weakness- because the government are the ones collecting it, they may be biased for their own purposes.
Ethical strength- There are no ethical issues, as the data is quantitative, publically shown and no one is identified so no personal harm against someone.
Personal documents- Personal documents are diaries and letters. This secondary source can give first hand accounts to history and therefore, give a good source of information. Diaries and letters are written, so this makes them qualitative data and will be used by interactionists because of their validity.
Strengths and weaknesses
Theoretical strength- Its extremely valid by showing the persons feelings and point of view on that specific timeline. Diaries can be very honest which means they won't really contain lies. Theoretical weakness- They cant always be reliable and can contain biased opinions or miss out important information.
Practical strength- A lot of personal documents that contain important historical information have been published. So that means they are very easy to access. Practical weakness- Because its qualitative data, it can be time consuming to pick out pieces of information that's actually useful. Published diaries you will have to pay for, unpublished diaries you may need to pay a relative to read.
Ethical strength- Depending on how old the personal document is, the author could be deceased and therefore consent is not needed. However, ethic weakness- the relatives of that person could say no for using the diary or letter of that deceased relative. Also, the publication of personal documents might harm people mentioned in the source or it could harm the families reputation.
Secondary sources is information that's been gathered by another person or group. Then that data is recorded for other researchers to see and even compare to their own research.