Official Statistics

?

Official Statistics

Advantages

  • Saves time and money
  • Based off large samples so tend to be representative
  • Investigation of trends over long periods is able
  • Can be combined with other research methods

Disadvantages

  • Not tell exactly what is wanted about an issue.
  • Gives no detail, just figures
  • Cannot check validity.
  • Dark figure (crime, domestic violence etc) does not count towards official statistics.
  • Official statistics are a social construct

Evaluation

Official statistics save time and money because they already exist. They are representative and can investigate trends over a long period of time. However, only figures are given and not all cases of what the statistics show are included in these figures. 

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Sociology resources:

See all Sociology resources »See all Research methods resources »