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Primary and Secondary Research
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A look at the advantages and disadvantages of primary and secondary research.
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Primary and Secondary ResearchPrimary research consists of a collection of original primary data collected by the researcher. It is often undertaken after
the researcher has gained some insight into the issue by reviewing secondary research or by analyzing previously collected
primary data. It can be accomplished through various methods, including questionnaires and telephone interviews in
market, or experiments and direct observations in the physical sciences, amongst others. Experiments, investigations,
or tests carried out to acquire data first-hand, rather than being gathered from published sources. Primary market research
can be quantitative or qualitative in nature.
Advantages Disadvantages
Targeted Issues are addressed: The organization asking for the Time Consuming: Because of exhaustive nature of the exercise,
research has the complete control on the process and the research the time required to do research accurately is very long as
is streamlines as far as its objectives and scope is concerned. compared to secondary data, which can be collected in much
Researching company can be asked to concentrate their efforts to lesser time duration. Also primary research takes a long time to
find data regarding specific market rather than concentration on plan and carry out effectively. This can results in a problem in fast-
mass market. It is more commissioned to the needs of the company changing markets where firms need accurate information quickly.
and can formulate a plan and garner the required results.
Data interpretation is better: The collected data can be examined High Cost: Collecting data using primary research is a costly
and interpreted by the marketers depending on their needs rather proposition as marketer has to be involved throughout and has to
than relying on the interpretation made by collectors of secondary design everything. It could result in costing over thousands of
data. pounds.
Recency of Data: Usually secondary data is not so recent and it may Inaccurate Feed-backs: In case the research involves taking
not be specific to the place or situation marketer is targeting. The feedbacks from the targeted audience, there are high chances that
researcher can use the irrelevant seeming information for knowing feedback given is not correct. Feedbacks by their basic nature are
trends or may be able to find some relation with the current usually biased or given just for the sake of it.
scenario. Thus primary data becomes a more accurate tool since we
can use data which is useful as it is up-to-date.
Secondary data is the data collected by someone else other than the researcher himself. This data can be gathered from
government records, books, trade associations, national or international institutes, statistics agencies, etc. Research done
using this readily available information is called secondary research. Secondary research is a method of collecting data that
has already been gathered by someone else. It is a technique used when performing marketing research. It is a useful
method as it allows the researcher to identify a new topic rather than one that has exhaustively been researched.
Secondary research is the collection, cultivation, and interpretation of already existing research and previously detailed
relevant information.
Advantages Disadvantages
It is easier to search out secondary sources of data than it is to When the secondary data is relevant to the current study, it may
mount a primary research programme, secondary research is be out of date and therefore the results achieved may be
often quicker to complete than primary research. In recent years, inaccurate. This is a particular problem for firms who operate in
the development of the internet has made accessing secondary fast changing industries.
data much simpler. Data collected by governments and other Incomplete Information: The researcher may not get the full version of
institutes is usually very extensive and covers a large spectrum of the research to gain the full value of the study. This is because many
issues. An organization can filter that data and consider only parts research suppliers offer free portions of their research and then
which they are targeting. charge expensive fees for their full reports.
Secondary research is low expense in comparison to field Secondary data could be biased. In some cases data may be
research. Since the data used in secondary research has been collected to serve a situation in which either the commissioners or
collected already for some other purpose, the cost involved in the researchers has a vested interest. It is important when using
obtaining it should be lower than would be the case with primary secondary data that this potential bias in the data is considered.
research. Usually time and cost required to collect secondary data Primary researcher may have been biased or may have used
is less than efforts required to collect primary data. Data is questionable methods to collect data; this can be pretty risky for
available freely or at far lesser cost through secondary sources. secondary researchers to base their report on such data.
Collecting secondary data can be useful in that it can highlight Secondary research is that previous studies may not have targeted the
general trends and specific areas of interest and can therefore exact issue that the current research requires and therefore the data
guide researchers in their primary data collection. may be of limited use.
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