Chapter 12 Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe the range and potential uses of available data.
  2. Explain general methodological issues in available-data research, including finding appropriate data and assessing validity and completeness.
  3. Distinguish between descriptive and analytical history, including their reliance on primary and secondary sources.
  4. Explain and give an example of how historical events lend themselves to multiple interpretations.
  5. Describe the steps in content analysis and apply them to a research topic.
  6. Evaluate available-data analysis as a general approach to social research, identifying its strengths and limitations.

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