Cautions in collection of secondary data:
Secondary data means data that are already available i ,e they refer to the data which have already been collected and analyzed by someone eels. Secondary data may either be published data of unpublished data.
By way of caution the researcher before using secondary data must see that they possess following characteristics:
1. Reliability of Data: The reliability can be tested by finding out such thing about the said data.
a. Who collected the data?
b.What were the sources of data?
c.Were the data collected by using proper methods?
d. At what time were they collected>
e. Was there any bias of the complier?
f. What level of accuracy was desired ? What it achieved?
2. Suitability of Data: The data that are suitable for one enquiry many not necessarily by found suitable in another enquiry. Hence if the available data are found to be unsuitable they should not be used by the researcher. In this context the researcher must very carefully scrutinize the definition of various terms and units of collection used at the time of collecting the data from the primary source originally. Similarly the objects scope and nature of the original enquiry must also be studies. If the researcher find differences in these the data will remain unsuitable for the present enquiry and should not be used.
3. Adequacy of Data : If the level of accuracy achieved in data is found inadequate for the purpose of the present enquiry they will be considered as inadequate and should not be used by the researcher. The data will also be considered inadequate if they are related to an area which may be either narrower or wide than the area of the present enquire.
From all this we can say that it is very risky to use the already available data. The already available data should be used by the researcher only when he find them reliable suitable and adequate.