Module 10 - Strengths and Weaknesses of Evidence

Activity 1 : : Activity 2 : : Activity 3 : : Activity 4

Activity 1: Introduction

In Task 7, you looked at the interpretation of data or evidence.  In Task 8, you’ll examine the data itself.  The purpose is to identify strengths and weaknesses in the data.  Sometimes, this is an aspect of the kind of data being collected.  For instance, survey research is useful to suggest trends in attitudes and preferences among those surveyed, but there are potential weaknesses in all survey data.  For example, human beings may not answer a survey truthfully, and some may even misunderstand the survey questions.  Of course, there are also benefits and problems with other data collection methods.  Sometimes, however, the concern is with the data itself, regardless of the collection method.  For example, archival data may apply to a previous population, but does not apply today.