Secondary Research
What is secondary research?
Using existing literature to answer a research question instead of collecting new data.
What is a Boolean operator?
AND, OR, NOT — used to combine or exclude keywords when searching.
Name one qualitative data collection method.
Interviews, focus groups, observations.
What is critical appraisal?
Systematic evaluation of a study’s trustworthiness, relevance, and results.
Why do researchers use thematic analysis?
To make sense of qualitative data by finding patterns, ideas, or common meanings across participants’ responses.
Give one example of a secondary research method.
Literature review, meta-synthesis, systematic review.
Why can it be risky to include NOT in a search?
Because it will rule out if that word is mentioned anywhere within the article.
Name one quantitative data collection method.
Surveys, experiments, structured questionnaires.
Name one tool used for critical appraisal.
CASP, PRISMA, JBI, etc.
What is a theme?
A pattern of meaning across data.
Why might someone choose secondary over primary research?
Time, cost, ethical reasons, or easier access to existing data.
What’s one way to decide if a source is relevant to your dissertation?
Read the abstract or summary to check if it matches your topic and focus.
Which type of research usually uses purposive sampling — qualitative or quantitative?
Qualitative research usually uses purposive sampling; quantitative research often uses random or probability sampling.
What does bias mean in research?
Systematic error that affects validity.
Name one phase of Braun & Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis.
Familiarisation, coding, generating themes, reviewing themes, defining/naming, writing up.
What is a literature review and why is it important?
It summarises and analyses what’s already known about a topic to answer a question, and brings together the broader picture than one individual study.
What’s the purpose of using inclusion and exclusion criteria?
To set clear boundaries for which studies are relevant to your topic.
What is phenomenology?
A research approach that explores and describes people’s lived experiences and the meanings they attach to them.
What is one thing you should look at when deciding if a study is trustworthy?
Look at the sample size and composition, study design, clarity of methods, or whether the results are supported by evidence.
What does coding involve?
Labelling sections of text that relate to ideas or patterns.
Name one potential limitation of secondary research.
Bias in existing studies, lack of relevant research, or limited detail about participants or methods.
Why is it important to keep a record of your search terms and sources?
It helps you stay organised, avoid duplication, and makes your dissertation more transparent and reproducible.
Give one advantage and one limitation of qualitative research.
Advantage: provides rich, detailed understanding of experiences. Limitation: small sample sizes make findings less generalisable.
What is the difference between validity and reliability?
Validity = accuracy; Reliability = consistency.
Why is reflexivity important in thematic analysis?
To recognise the researcher’s influence and biases in interpretation.