Official Statistics


	Official Statistics
	Advantages Practical Issues : Free source of huge amounts of data. (Only the state can afford large - scale surveys, costs millions ) sociologists can use these statistics Statics allow comparison between groups, ethnic groups, class, gender collected at regular intervals - shows trends and patterns. used of before and after studies. Cause-and-effect Representativeness : Often cover very large numbers Provide a more representative sample Provide a better basis for making generalisations and testing hypotheses Reliability Compiled in a standardised way by trained staff, staff are allocated to the case in their category	Disadvantages Practical Issues : State collects for own use not sociologists. Durkheim's study of suicide meant that statistics were needed but the state wouldn't provide them.. Government statistics may be different to what a sociologist wants, poverty and truancy, different views of the problem Definitions change over time affecting comparisons. unemployment changed 30 times over the 1980s-1990s Representativeness : some are less representative only based on a sample of the relevant population some are too big to carry out Reliability Census coders may make errors or omit (leave out / exclude ) information, information may be filled out incorrectly
	Evaluation

Practical Issues :
Free source of huge amounts of data. (Only the state can afford large - scale surveys, costs millions ) sociologists can use these statistics
Statics allow comparison between groups, ethnic groups, class, gender
collected at regular intervals - shows trends and patterns. used of before and after studies. Cause-and-effect
Representativeness :
Often cover very large numbers
Provide a more representative sample
Provide a better basis for making generalisations and testing hypotheses
Reliability
Compiled in a standardised way by trained staff, staff are allocated to the case in their category

Practical Issues :
State collects for own use not sociologists. Durkheim's study of suicide meant that statistics were needed but the state wouldn't provide them..
Government statistics may be different to what a sociologist wants, poverty and truancy, different views of the problem
Definitions change over time affecting comparisons. unemployment changed 30 times over the 1980s-1990s
Representativeness :
some are less representative
only based on a sample of the relevant population
some are too big to carry out
Reliability
Census coders may make errors or omit (leave out / exclude ) information, information may be filled out incorrectly

Get Revising