Sources of Data

1. SOURCES OF DATA

2. SOURCES OF
DATA
INTERNAL
SOURCES
EXTERNAL
SOURCES
PRIMARY
DATA
SECONDARY
DATA

3. SOURCES OF DATA
There are two sources of data. They are:
I. INTERNAL SOURCES
II. EXTERNAL SOURCES

4. I. INTERNAL SOURCES:
A large no of organisations generate data as
there regular function, which is internal
information. Internal data may be available about
sales, wages, salary, profit, etc. in the
organisation.

5. II. EXTERNAL SOURCES:
Information collected from outside agencies is
called external data, which can be obtained from
primary source or secondary source.
External sources are of two types:

6. 1. PRIMARY DATA:
The data originally collected by the investigator
is known as primary data.
TYPES OF EXTERNAL SOURCES

7. METHODS FOR COLLECTING DATA
i. INDIRECT PERSONAL INVESTIGATION
ii. DIRECT PERSONAL INVESTIGATION
iii. INFORMATION FROM CORRESPONDENTS
iv. INFORMATION THROUGH MAILED
QUESTIONNAIRE
v. INFORMATIONATION THROUGH QUESTIONNAIRE
THROUGH INVESTIGATORS

8. PRIMARY
DATA
DIRECT
PERSONAL
INVESTIGATI
ON
INDIRECT
PERSONAL
INVESTIG
ATION
INFORMATI
ON FROM
CORRESPO
NDENTS
INFORMATIO
N THROUGH
MAILED
QUESTIONNA
IRE
INFORMATIONATI
ON THROUGH
QUESTIONNAIRE
THROUGH
INVESTIGATORS

9. MERITS:
 ORIGINALITY & ACCURACY
 FLEXIBILITY
 DETAILED STUDY
 HOMOGENEITY
 USEFUL WHEN THE AREA OF INVESTIGATION IS
SMALL
 UNIFORMITY
 SIMPLE
i. DIRECT PERSONAL INVESTIGATION

10. DEMERITS:
 NOT SUITABLE FOR WIDE AREA
 MAY SOMETIMES BE BIASED
 COSTLY
 INFORMATION MAY BE EXAGGERATED
 LENGTHY & COMPLEX
 INVESTIGATORS NEED TO BE TRAINED
i. DIRECT PERSONAL INVESTIGATION

11. PRECAUTIONS:
 Investigator should be social, laborious and
experienced.
 Investigator should be well versed with language,
trade& customs.
 The no. of questions should be limited.
 Investigator should not use his biased feelings.
 Investigator should establish relationship with
appropriate persons.
i. DIRECT PERSONAL INVESTIGATION

12. MERITS:
 WIDE AREA COVERED
 SAVES LABOUR, TIME & MONEY
 FREE FROM BIAS
 ADVICE FROM EXPERTS
 SIMPLE & CONVENIENT
 COMPLETE & ADEQUATE INFORMATION
ii. INDIRECT PERSONAL INVESTIGATION

13. DEMERITS:
 LACK OF ACCURACY
 CARELESSNESS OF INFORMANTS
 PROBLEM IN SELECTION OF INFORMANTS
 MAY SOMETIMES BE BIASED
 COSTLY
 INFORMATION MAY BE EXAGGERATED
 INVESTIGATORS NEED TO BE TRAINED
ii. INDIRECT PERSONAL INVESTIGATION

14. PRECAUTIONS:
 There should be good no. of informants.
 Information collected should be checked with
some references.
 Unnecessary suspicion towards the informant
should be avoided.
 Investigator should be social, laborious and
experienced.
ii. INDIRECT PERSONAL INVESTIGATION

15.  Investigator should be well versed with language,
trade& customs.
 The no. of questions should be limited.
 Investigator should not use his biased feelings.
 Investigator should establish relationship with the
persons.

16. MERITS:
 WIDE AREA COVERED
 ECONOMY
 EARLY DECISIONS
 USEFUL WHERE REGULAR INFORMATIONS ARE
REQUIRED
iii. INFORMATION FROM CORRESPONDENTS

17. DEMERITS:
 MAY SOMETIMES BE BIASED
 DATA COLLECTED MAY SOMETIMES BE
OUTDATED
 LACK OF ACCURACY
 ORIGINAL DATA NOT OBTAINED
 CARELESSNESS OF INFORMANTS
 LACK OF UNIFORMITY
iii.INFORMATION FROM CORRESPONDENTS

18.  DIFFERENT ATTITUDES OF CORRESPONDENTS
 CORRESPONDENTS NEED TO BE TRAINED

19. PRECAUTIONS:
 Proper and appropriate persons should be selected as
correspondents.
 Correspondents should stress on accuracy of data.
 Large no. of correspondents should be appointed.
 Information collected should be cross-checked with
some references.
 Correspondent should be social, laborious and
experienced.
iii. INFORMATION FROM CORRESPONDENTS

20.  The no. of questions should be limited.
 Investigator should not use his biased feelings.
 Investigator should establish relationship with the
persons.
 Correspondent should be well versed with
language, trade& customs.

21. MERITS:
 WIDE AREA COVERED
 ORIGINALITY
 DETAILED STUDY
 ECONOMY
 EARLY DECISIONS
 SAVES LABOUR & TIME
 MORE RELIABLE INFORMATION
 FREE FROM BIAS
iv. INFORMATION THROUGH MAILED
QUESTIONNAIRE

22. DEMERITS:
 LACK OF ACCURACY
 DEPENDENT ON THE COOPERATION OF INFORMANTS
 UNUSUAL DELAYS
 NOT SUITABLE FOR ILLETRATES
 MAY SOMETIMES BE BIASED
 DATA COLLECTED MAY SOMETIMES BE OUTDATED
 QUESTIONNAIRE MAY SOMETIMES BE COMPLEX
 INCOMPLETE INFORMATION
iv. INFORMATION THROUGH MAILED
QUESTIONNAIRE

23. PRECAUTIONS:
 The no. of questions should be limited.
 Informants should not use his biased feelings.
 Questions should be simple & clear.
 Questions should not hurt the social, religious or
emotional feelings of the informants.
 Goodwill & cooperation of the informants is required.
iv. INFORMATION THROUGH MAILED
QUESTIONNAIRE

24.  Language used should be polite & effective.
 Efforts should be made to extract the information as
soon as possible.

25. DEMERITS:
 COSTLY METHOD
 TIME CONSUMING
 USED ONLY BY BIG ORGANISATIONS
 MAY SOMETIMES BE BIASED
 ENUMERATORS NEED TO BE PROPERLY TRAINED
 SUPERVISION OF ENUMERATORS REQUIRED
V. INFORMATIONATION THROUGH
QUESTIONNAIRE THROUGH INVESTIGATORS

26. PRECAUTIONS:
 Proper and appropriate persons should be selected as
investigators.
 Investigators should stress on accuracy of data.
 Large no. of investigators should be appointed.
 investigators should be social, laborious and
experienced.
 Investigators should be well versed with language,
trade& customs.
v. INFORMATIONATION THROUGH
QUESTIONNAIRE THROUGH
INVESTIGATORS

27.  The no. of questions should be limited.
 Investigator should not use his biased feelings.
 Investigator should establish relationship with the
persons.

28. The data which is collected by some other agency and are
used for further studies.
The various methods for collecting data are :
i. PUBLISHED DATA
ii. UNPUBLISHED DATA
2. SECONDARY DATA

29. SECONDARY
DATA
PUBLISHED
DATA
UNPUBLISHED
DATA

30. PUBLISHED
DATA
GOVT. PUBLICATIONS
SEMI-OFFICIAL
PUBLICATIONS
COMMITTEE REPORTS
INTERNATIONAL
PUBLICATIONS
PRIVATE PUBLICATIONS

31. PRIVATE
PUBLICATIONS
JOURNALS AND
NEWSPAPERS
RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS
TRADE BODIES
COMMERCIAL & FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS

32.  SIZE OF QUESTIONNAIRE
 SIMPLE & CLEAR
 POSSIBLE ANSWERS
 USE OF PROPER WORDS
 HURTING SENTIMENTS
 MATHEMATICAL CALCULATIONS
 INSTRUCTIONS & DEFINITIONS
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD QUESTIONNAIRE

33. THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL POINTS SHOULD BE
CONSIDERED:
 COVERING LETTER
 SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE
 ASSURANCE OF CONFIDENCE
 NO SOLICITATION
 OFFER INDUCEMENTS LIKE: FREE GIFTS,
CONCESSION COUPONS, ETC.
 COPY OF RESULT
IN CASE OF MAILED QUESTIONNAIRE

34.  PROPER PROCEDURE OF COLLECTION OF DATA
 SUITABILITY
 MAY BE BIASED
 MAY BE OUT-DATED
 STANDARD OF ACCURACY
 FULL PERIOD OF INVESTIGATION
LIMITATIONS OF SECONDARY DATA

35. THE INVESTIGATOR SHOULD CONSIDER THE
FOLLOWING POINTS BEFORE USING THE DATA:
 Are the data reliable?
 Are the data suitable?
 Are the data adequate?
 Are the data collected by proper method?
 Who has collected the data?
 Are the data biased?
 From which source the data was collected?
PRECAUTIONS OF SECONDARY DATA