Primary vs Secondary Data
Primary and secondary data are two types of data used for various research purposes. The main difference between the two lies in the objective of the data collection. Primary data are original and collected for the first time by a researcher, whereas secondary data are collected from already available sources.
What is Primary Data?
Primary data are collected with the aim of identifying specific factors required by the researcher. These data are collected through questionnaires that are tailored to the researcher’s needs and have not been collected by another investigator previously. Before collecting primary data, it is essential to determine if any other sources already contain the information required by the researcher.
The primary method for obtaining primary data is questionnaires. However, when considering primary data collection, it is important to also consider the total cost of the research. This includes the cost of a significant number of questionnaires, resources needed for field visits, and the time value. It is advisable to first check if any suitable secondary data are available before proceeding with primary data collection methods.
What is Secondary Data?
Secondary data are collected from already available sources, such as newspapers, television commercials, or other institutions that have collected data for their purposes. These data may not have been tailored to the researcher’s needs and were not collected with the researcher’s objectives in mind. These secondary data for the researcher may be the primary data for the owner of the information source.
Primary data can be converted into secondary data by performing statistical operations on the primary data. In this case, primary data that were collected by the researcher are altered so they can be used for the researcher’s intended purposes. The original primary data become secondary data after statistical methods are applied. Using secondary data can eliminate costs, and they can also be obtained from information recorded in interviews or surveys.
Key Takeaways
- Primary data are original and collected for the first time by a researcher, while secondary data are collected from already available sources.
- Primary data can be costly to collect compared to secondary data gathering.
- Using secondary data is advisable if they can be modeled according to the researcher’s requirements or if there is a specific purpose for conducting primary data research despite time and cost factors.
