Secondary data assessment and use plan

Organize questions and information needs before searching. Once scope is known, reconsider answerability and record reasons for changes.

When to use this worksheet and what completion involves Fictional completed example

EvalCompass Worksheet

Secondary data assessment and use plan

Method: Secondary Data Analysis

Organize questions and information needs before searching. Once scope is known, reconsider answerability and record reasons for changes.

Step 1: questions and necessary variables

Specify necessary variables or indicators first

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

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Evaluation questions	Necessary variables or indicators	Required period and geographic scope	Priority: high / medium / low
Were new users reached?	First use, identifiability and period	First half of fiscal 2026, City A (fictional)	High

Reason for this entry: Distinguish total visits and unique people.

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Evaluation questions	Necessary variables or indicators	Required period and geographic scope	Priority: high / medium / low

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Specify necessary variables or indicators first

Distinguish total visits and unique people.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Keep the information in each row aligned. Scroll wide tables horizontally to see every column.

Read the full fictional example

Step 2: source search and quality

Assess each candidate source

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

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Dataset and provider	Collection purpose and targets	Timing and update frequency	Available variables	Fit to purpose: ○ / △ / ×	Terms and access
Consultation register (fictional)	Operational management; service users	Monthly entries	Date, user ID and first-use classification	△: some IDs missing	Plan to check permitted use with manager

Reason for this entry: Do not imply permission already obtained.

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Dataset and provider	Collection purpose and targets	Timing and update frequency	Available variables	Fit to purpose: ○ / △ / ×	Terms and access

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Assess each candidate source

Do not imply permission already obtained.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Keep the information in each row aligned. Scroll wide tables horizontally to see every column.

Read the full fictional example

Step 3: data limitations

Describe mismatches for every selected source

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

10 records without consultation IDs cannot be assigned to unique people. Non-users are absent, so overall community needs cannot be established.

Reason for this entry: Attend to people outside records' scope.

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Describe mismatches for every selected source

Attend to people outside records' scope.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Use the example as a reference and record what you have established about your own program. Distinguish assumptions and unchecked matters from confirmed facts.

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Step 4: analysis plan

Map datasets to questions

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

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Evaluation questions	Data used	Analysis method	Interpretive limitations
Were new users reached?	Consultation register after permission	Aggregate first-time users and missingness monthly	Cannot generalize to people not visiting

Reason for this entry: State the answerable scope.

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Evaluation questions	Data used	Analysis method	Interpretive limitations

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Map datasets to questions

State the answerable scope.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Keep the information in each row aligned. Scroll wide tables horizontally to see every column.

Read the full fictional example

Quality checks

Check before analysis/reporting

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

☑ Checked: Set questions before searching
☑ Checked: Checked metadata: purpose, time and methods
☐ Not checked: Checked definition/method changes in annual reports or similar sources
☐ Not checked: Checked terms and secondary-use permission
☑ Checked: Recorded preprocessing and analysis as scripts or documents
☑ Checked: Stated limitations alongside results and conclusions

Reason for this entry: Definition-change checks and permission remain incomplete. No individual-record analysis before permission.

Set questions before searching
Checked metadata: purpose, time and methods
Checked definition/method changes in annual reports or similar sources
Checked terms and secondary-use permission
Recorded preprocessing and analysis as scripts or documents
Stated limitations alongside results and conclusions

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Check before analysis/reporting

Definition-change checks and permission remain incomplete. No individual-record analysis before permission.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Read each item and check those you have confirmed. Do not use the fictional example’s checkbox states as findings about your own program.

Read the full fictional example

Before writing, check when to use the worksheet and what completion involves

Secondary data assessment and use plan is a worksheet for applying Secondary Data Analysis in meetings or individual work. For the overall duration of the method, use “Illustrative planning durations, not common standards: finding/acquiring data 1–2 weeks, quality/preprocessing 1–2 weeks, analysis 2–4 weeks” as a reference, adjusting for scale and resources. Fill in what you know provisionally and leave unresolved matters as questions to check next.

When this worksheet is useful

Understand target-area/group backgrounds and trends without new collection
Supplement outcomes using municipal records or statistics
Build long-term trends or comparison-group baselines

Participants and preparation

1–2 data analysts; acquisition may require coordination with administration

Bring the materials used for decisions, existing data, and differing stakeholder views to help complete the worksheet.

Suggested order

1. Step 1: questions and necessary variablesSpecify necessary variables or indicators first
2. Step 2: source search and qualityAssess each candidate source
3. Step 3: data limitationsDescribe mismatches for every selected source
4. Step 4: analysis planMap datasets to questions
5. Quality checksCheck before analysis/reporting

Signs the worksheet is ready for review

Source list with metadata assessments
Clean analytical dataset with code and procedures
Quantitative report with limitations

Cautions for review

Do not derive questions from available data. Set questions first, then seek necessary data.
Provider definition changes can distort trends. Always check metadata and annual reports' methodological-change sections.
Do not hide limitations only at the end. State collection-purpose, definition, target differences and missingness relevant to conclusions alongside results.

Read a completed fictional example (your entries will not change)

Fictional example; not actual results

A fictional illustration examining reach using a fictional consultation register.

Step 1: questions and necessary variables

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Evaluation questions	Necessary variables or indicators	Required period and geographic scope	Priority: high / medium / low
Were new users reached?	First use, identifiability and period	First half of fiscal 2026, City A (fictional)	High

Reason for this entry: Distinguish total visits and unique people.

Step 2: source search and quality

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Dataset and provider	Collection purpose and targets	Timing and update frequency	Available variables	Fit to purpose: ○ / △ / ×	Terms and access
Consultation register (fictional)	Operational management; service users	Monthly entries	Date, user ID and first-use classification	△: some IDs missing	Plan to check permitted use with manager

Reason for this entry: Do not imply permission already obtained.

Step 3: data limitations

10 records without consultation IDs cannot be assigned to unique people. Non-users are absent, so overall community needs cannot be established.

Reason for this entry: Attend to people outside records' scope.

Step 4: analysis plan

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Evaluation questions	Data used	Analysis method	Interpretive limitations
Were new users reached?	Consultation register after permission	Aggregate first-time users and missingness monthly	Cannot generalize to people not visiting

Reason for this entry: State the answerable scope.

Quality checks

☑ Checked: Set questions before searching
☑ Checked: Checked metadata: purpose, time and methods
☐ Not checked: Checked definition/method changes in annual reports or similar sources
☐ Not checked: Checked terms and secondary-use permission
☑ Checked: Recorded preprocessing and analysis as scripts or documents
☑ Checked: Stated limitations alongside results and conclusions

Reason for this entry: Definition-change checks and permission remain incomplete. No individual-record analysis before permission.

Common errors in judgment

Compare years without checking definitions

How to revise: Check aggregation and recording changes

Reason: Apparent trends may arise from institutional or recording changes.

Freely join individual records because data are public

How to revise: Check terms and re-identification risks

Reason: Anonymous datasets may identify people when joined.

Editorial and checking information

Content updated: 2026-09-13Source checked: 2026-09-13 (includes AI cross-checking)No documented human reviewIncludes fictional examplesEditorial policy and scope of checking Cite this page Report a correction

References and checked sections

Existing documents
BetterEvaluation
Section consulted
Types of existing documents / Advice for using this method
How it relates to the text
Judge fit to purpose considering record gaps and post-creation changes.
Source checked: 2026-09-13 (includes AI cross-checking)

How to cite this page

EvalCompass Editorial Team. “Secondary data assessment and use plan”. EvalCompass, updated 2026-09-13. https://evalcompass.jun-nakatani.com/en/worksheets/secondary-data/

Add the date you accessed the page. Text created by this site is available under CC BY 4.0. Quotations, external materials, and bundled fonts have their own terms of use. When reusing content, credit the source, link to the license, and indicate any changes.

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Change history

2026-09-13 — Checked sources for definitions and conditions and added fictional examples, judgment rationales and completed entries for every field. Revised unsupported historical or uptake claims. Reviewed procedures and cautions, adjusting fixed counts, thresholds and institutional generalizations. Preserved field positions, types and counts while revising fixed conditions and thresholds.