Data are the numerical facts, which originate from the operation of counting or enumerating. For any Statistical investigation, the first stage is data collection and the basic problem is to collect data relating to the subject matter. The person who conducts the statistical investigation is known as an investigator. The persons from whom the information or data are collected are known as the informants. The process of enumerating or counting the items in a systematic and scientific way is known as a collection of data. Data can be quantitative or qualitative. The data which can be counted in a natural way be quantitative data. The data which represents the quality of an individual is known as qualitative data.
Types of Data
On the basis of sources of data, there are two types of Data:
1. Primary data
2. Secondary data
1. Primary data
The data collected for the first time by the investigator or an agent of the investigator is called primary data. The primary data are original in nature and the main purposes are to decrease the complexity of an inquiry and provide accurate information. These are obtained from the survey, institution, different departments of the government, research teams and some individuals. For example, an investigator wants to study the household income and expenditure of a fixed income generating group, the investigator or his representative collects the data from the special field.
2. Secondary data
The data collected by someone for their own purpose but used by some other person or organization is called secondary data. Thus, the primary data for one person can be the secondary data for some others. So, data that are originally collected but obtained from either published or unpublished sources are secondary data.
Thus, these are the two types of data on the basis of the source of data.
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