Secondary
Data Analysis:
A
Method of which the Time Has Come
Melissa P. Johnston, PhD
School of Library and
Information Studies, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL,USA
Technological advances
have led to vast amounts of data that has been collected,
compiled, and archived, and that is now easily accessible for research. As a result, utilizing existing data for
research is becoming more prevalent, and therefore secondary data analysis. While secondary
analysis is flexible and can be utilized in several
ways, it is also an empirical exercise and a systematic method with procedural and evaluative steps, just as in
collecting and evaluating primary data. secondary data analysis is a viable
method to utilize in the process of inquiry when a systematic procedure is followed and
presents an illustrative research application utilizing
secondary data analysis in library and information science research.
Secondary
data analysis is analysis
of data that was collected by someone else for another primary purpose. The utilization of this existing data
provides a viable option for researchers who may
have limited time and resources. Secondary analysis is an empirical exercise that applies the same basic
research principles as studies utilizing primary
data and has steps to be followed just as any research method. Hakim (1982)
defines secondary analysis as
“any further analysis of an existing dataset which presents interpretations, conclusions or knowledge additional. Most research begins
with an investigation to learn what is already known and what remains to be learned about a topic through reviewing
secondary sources and investigations others
have previously conducted in the specified area of interest. Secondary data analysis takes this one step further,
including a review of previously collected
data in the area of interest. While secondary data analysis is a flexible approach and can be utilized in several
ways, it is also an empirical exercise with
procedural and evaluative steps, just as there are in collecting and evaluating primary data (Doolan &
Froelicher, 2009). Secondary data analysis remains
an under-used research technique in many fields, including LIS. Given the increasingly availability of
previously collected data to researchers, it is important
to further define secondary data analysis as a systematic research method. Yet, few frameworks are available
to guide researchers as they conduct secondary
data analysis (Andrews et al., 2012; Smith et al., 2011).
Secondary
analysis is a systematic method with procedural and
evaluative steps, yet there is a lack of literature to define a specific
process. The key to secondary data analysis is to
apply theoretical knowledge and conceptual skills to utilize existing data to
address the research questions. Hence, the first step in the process is to
develop the research questions. The purpose of this study was to investigate
the enablers and barriers that school librarians experience enacting a
leadership role in technology integration. The research questions that guided
this work are: What enablers or supporting factors do accomplished school
librarians perceive as enablers in enacting the role of leader in technology
integration? What barriers or constraining factors do accomplished school
librarians perceive to enacting the role of leader in technology integration? What is the association between
accomplished school librarians involved at a high level in technology
integration leadership and the identified enablers/barriers in comparison to
the other participants?
Data may already exist that can be utilized in addressing
the research questions. In the case of this research an in-depth literature
review of the areas of interest was conducted examining the previous and
current work of experts in the field of school librarianship and technology.
Through the literature review other researchers on this topic were identified,
as were agencies and research centers that have conducted related studies.
Recent research and findings from the top ranked school library preparation
programs were identified and reviewed, as were dissertations in the areas of
technology, leadership, and school librarians. Finally, local informal networks
can also provide valuable information in determining what research is currently
being conducted (Magee, Lee, Giuliano, & Munro, 2006). This is especially
relevant in the field of school librarianship, which is a very connected
community. The researcher had the benefit of an informal network, in that she
was a part of the team that worked on background research and survey
construction for a then current study by the Partnerships for Advancing Library
Media (PALM) Center at Florida State University (FSU). Original survey research
rarely uses all of the data collected and this unused data can provide answers
or different perspectives to other questions or issues (Heaton, 2008, Johnston,
2012; Smith, 2008), yet the key to using existing survey data effectively to
find meaningful answers is a good fit between the research question and the
dataset (Doolan & Froelicher, 2009; Kiecolt & Nathan, 1985; Magee et
al, 2006). In this study, the research questions fit well with that of the
original study since both studies focused on school librarians and technology
leadership. The researcher’s relationship with the primary investigators, made
her aware that data collected from questions addressing enablers and barriers
to leadership in technology integration had not been analyzed or reported.
Finding that this data would adequately address her research questions and that
the primary method of data collection was appropriately suited to her research,
the decision was made to utilize existing survey data to find the answers to
different research questions than were asked in the original research.
Secondary
data analysis offers methodological benefits and can contribute to LIS research
through generating new knowledge (Heaton, 2008, Johnston, 2012; Smith, 2008).
The overall goal of this method is the same as that of others, to contribute to
scientific knowledge through offering an alternate perspective; it only differs
in its reliance on existing data. LIS researchers should take advantage of the
high quality data that are available and consider the potential value in
gaining knowledge and giving insight into a broad range of LIS issues through
utilizing secondary data analysis method. Yet, successful secondary analysis of
data requires a systematic process that acknowledges challenges of utilizing
existing data and addresses the distinct characteristics of secondary analysis.
The process proposed from this application
in LIS research provides a systematic process that includes steps to undertake
to avoid possible limitations. In a time where the large amounts of data being
collected, compiled, and archived by researchers all over the world are now
more easily accessible, the time has definitely come for secondary data
analysis as a viable method for LIS research.
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