Secondary research
Secondary research occurs when a project requires a summary or collection of existing data. As opposed to data collected directly from respondents or "research subjects" for the express purposes of a project, (often called "empirical" or "primary research"), secondary sources already exist.
These secondary soures could include previous research reports, newspaper, magazine and journal content, and government and NGO statistics. Sometimes secondary research is required in the preliminary stages of research to determine what is known already and what new data is required, or to inform research design. At other times, it may make be the only research technique used.
Also known as desk research
Secondary data can be collected from internal and external sources.
Internal sources
Information which is available for inside the business such as
- Sales department records, customer records and sales reports
- Opinions of distributors and public relations departments
- Financial statements and records
External sources
These include:
- Newspapers
- Government statistics and census reports
- Media reports
- Market research agencies’ reports
- Employers’ association reports
Advantages of secondary research
