1. Foundations of Sociological Inquiry
Analyzing Existing Statistics

2. Today’s Objectives Analyzing Existing Statistics Units of Analysis
Sources of Data
Limitations
Questions?

3. Analyzing Existing Statistics
The analysis of existing statistics is not the same as secondary analysis. So what is it?
Examination of data typically collected for another purpose to examine some sociological question. Birthrates, deathrates, incarceration rates, taxation, representation….
Existing statistics may be the main source of data or a supplemental source of data.

4. What sorts of research questions might require the analysis of existing statistics?

5. The analysis of existing statistics typically compares differences in some statistic:
over time
between groups
across geographical units
any of the above

6. Units of Analysis By nature, existing statistics describe groups.
Analysis of existing statistics typically compares differences
Between groups
Over time
Between geographical units (counties, states, countries)

7. Being clear on the unit of analysis in content analysis has particular implications for
measuring latent content.
measuring manifest content.
determining the ideal types.
selecting a sampling strategy.
coding the data

8. A ________ analysis represents changes in a variable over time.
regression
bivariate
time series
log-linear

9. Sources of Data Statistical Abstract of the United States
University of Michigan’s “Statistical Resources on the Web”
Demographic Yearbook
SINET

10.
Your favorite databank here….

11. Existing statistics should always be considered a _________ source of data.
primary
supplemental
tertiary
all of the above
none of the above

12. Using existing statistics, Professor Ford finds that towns with low median incomes tend to have higher crime rates than towns with high median incomes. Ford concludes that poor people are more likely to commit crimes than people with high incomes. Ford is
committing the ecological fallacy.
using verstehen.
doing content analysis.
developing ideal types.
doing replication.

13. Limitations of Analyzing Existing Statistics
Ecological Fallacy
Problems of Validity
Logical Reasoning
Replication
Problems of Reliability
Quality of Existing Statistics

14. When we base research on an analysis of data that already exists, we face problems of:
repeatability
validity
generalization

15. the problem of reliability in using existing statistics.
After examining the FBI Crime Reports for a 30-year period, Professor Hall claimed that the incidence of rape has increased. After examining the same reports, Professor Shine claimed that the reporting of rape, not the incidence of rape, has increased. This illustrates
the problem of reliability in using existing statistics.
the problem of validity in using existing statistics.
the need to replicate existing statistics.
the ecological fallacy.
pre-testing.

16. Questions?