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meta data — English
This is data and information about data. In any empirical study or investigation data is collected, but all the data collected might not be of the same quality or type. Some data is qualitative and some is quantitative. Qualitative and quantitative data require different analytical methods. A researcher always has to analyse the nature, accuracy and reliability of the data that he/she has collected. In any research report it is essential to describe the quality of the data (see “primary data”). The researcher also has to admit to it when some of the data is not very reliable, explain why it is less reliable and justify why it has nonetheless been used. All results obtained from the analysis of less reliable data have to be evaluated very carefully. In certain types of research one might collect a lot of very reliable data as well as some less reliable data. In such a case the credibility of the results is diminished to the level of the least reliable data, although most of the data might be of the highest possible reliability. If all the data used in an analysis is of a low quality (a low level of reliability) the results are, of course, questionable and findings or conclusions must be made with the greatest care possible. There are myriads of reasons why data could be of a poor quality, and it might occur in any type of empirical research. In all empirical research, the meta data is indispensable since it determines the credibility of the conclusions. (See “primary data”.)
