validity and reliability of secondary sources

The purpose is neither to oppose nor to diminish select methodologies instead, it is to suggest a complimentary suite of qualitative and quantitative approaches to better investigate social issues. Secondary sources provide second-hand information and commentary from other researchers. Primary research gives you direct access to the subject of your research. Examples include interview transcripts, statistical data, and works of art. They conclude with the need to refocus on the usefulness of qualitative research and offer an evolving set of criteria for conducting policy-related research. Primary sources provide raw information and first-hand evidence.

The authors present the limitations of qualitative research these limitations have historically been the justifications used by individuals to discount the use of qualitative research for policy studies. In this paper, the authors acknowledge previous examinations, and also intend to create a new discourse. Yet, such exchanges routinely ignore the unique ways in which qualitative research can inform policy. Scholars, using diverse epistemological and ontological stances, have contested different beliefs about the criteria for judgment of rigorous research.

For decades, qualitative and quantitative methodologists have debated the merits of one perspective in relation to others. In contrast, such validation studies of German SHI claims data are mostly lacking and are urgently needed in the near future.This paper examines the relationship between qualitative research and public policy. A considerable number of external validation studies of diagnostic coding have been conducted within the GPRD. In addition external validation of secondary data is desirable using original prescriptions, medical records, hospital discharge letters and/or patient or physician interviews as a gold standard. The aim of internal validation is to separate uncertain from true cases based on information from secondary data alone or to reproduce known associations within the database. Descriptive analyses of consistency can help to determine the integrity of data. This article reviews strategies for checks of internal consistency within the data from one SHI as well as between data from several SHIs and possibilities of internal data validation. Validation studies are needed to examine their completeness and accuracy depending on the corresponding research question. However, these data are not primarily collected for research purposes. Medical records databases (such as the General Practice Research Database-GPRD) and administrative databases (such as German Statutory Health Insurance (SHI) claims data) are useful sources for pharmacoepidemiology and health services research.

Validity and reliability of secondary sources