Final answer:
Police reports are used in a secondary analysis study of women killed in domestic encounters as a form of secondary data to gather insights into domestic violence.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a secondary analysis study of women killed in domestic encounters, police reports are commonly used to gather data. These reports serve as a form of secondary data, which is information collected by someone other than the user. The secondary analysis can offer significant insights into domestic violence, which can be obscured in cases where victims are reluctant to report or confirm abuse. This reluctance can be due to various reasons, as indicated by self-report studies like the National Crime Victimization Survey. The reliance on police reports and similar records is critical in understanding the prevalence and characteristics of domestic abuse cases.