Chapter No.08 Using Secondary Data Secondary data: data that have already been collected for some other purpose Secondary data include both raw data and published summaries Secondary data is useful in research which require national or international comparisons Secondary data include both quantitative and qualitative data, and are used in both descriptive and explanatory research data you use may be raw data, (without processing), or compiled data (some sort of selection or summarizing has been done) Secondary data important in a variety of M&E tasks, e.g. Situation analysis Need assessment Baseline survey Target setting Impact assessment Case study archival research Reliable and up-to-date data on various indicators are hard to come by Dis-aggregated data not publicly available in most cases Time-series data available only for the most macro indicators Mostly reliance on anecdotal evidence or on unreliable sources

Types of secondary dataDocumentary written and non-written (often used in research projects that also use primary data)Surveys data collected using a survey strategy, usually by questionnaires subtypes include: censuses, regular and ad hoc

Advantages Fewer resource requirements Longitudinal studies may be feasible Provision of comparative and contextual data Unforeseen discoveries may occur Generally permanent and availableDisadvantages Purpose of data collection may not match the research needs Access may be difficult or costly Aggregations and definitions may be unsuitable No real control over data qualityEnsure that data sources Enable the research question(s) to be answered Enable research objectives to be met Have greater benefits than their associated costs Allow access for researchEvaluating potential secondary data sources

Overall suitability: points to consider Precise suitability, including reliability and validity assessment of collection methods clear explanation of collection techniques Measurement validity Measurement bias and deliberate distortion Coverage and unmeasured variables ensure exclusion of unwanted data ensure sufficient data remain for analysis Costs and benefitsFinding the data - a two stage process Establishing that the required secondary data are available Locating the precise data required Sources References in publications (books, journal articles) Within organizations (unpublished sources) Tertiary literature ( indexes and catalogues in archives or online)