Class 11 Statistics Notes · GSEB

Secondary Data: Sources and Precautions

Secondary Data: Sources and Precautions — learn published and unpublished sources of secondary data and essential precautions before using them. GSEB Class 11 Statistics notes.

Last updated: 2 Aug 2026

Notes

Sources of Secondary Data

There are two main sources of secondary data: published and unpublished. Click any category to see details.

Secondary Data Sources

Published Sources

Unpublished Sources

Precautions While Using Secondary Data

A careful scrutiny must be done before using secondary data. The reason is that such data may be erroneous or of inadequate sample size or may not be suitable with the purpose of the inquiry. Therefore, before using such data, the following precautions should be taken:

Real-Life Connection

Think of secondary data like using someone else's notes. Before relying on them, you would check: Are they complete? Are they up to date? Do they cover the same syllabus? Were they written by a reliable student? The same logic applies to statistical data.

Key Takeaways

Secondary data comes from two main sources: published (government, semi-government, international, research, local bodies, business, newspapers) and unpublished (internal records, PhD theses).
Government publications like CSO, NSSO, and Census provide data on wholesale price index, import-export, vital statistics, and agricultural statistics on a regular basis.
International organizations like UNO, IMF, and ILO publish important cross-country statistical data.
Before using secondary data, verify: who collected it, from where, and whether they had any bias or prejudice.
Always check that the data is current and relevant — outdated data on prices (grains, gold, petrol) is useless.
Avoid directly using estimated data; understand the original method of collection to know its strengths and weaknesses.