Secondary Data
What is Secondary Data?
Secondary data is defined as already existing data that was collected by someone else other than the user. It is a type of data that has already been published in books, newspapers, magazines, journals, online portals, etc. It is a very popular method used by researchers as it is relatively easy to find and use. However, one must be careful while using secondary data as it might not always be accurate or updated.
Secondary Data Types
Secondary data Types are as follows:
- Administrative data
- Census data
- Documents
- Encyclopedias
- Essays
- Newspaper opinion pieces
- Reviews
- Textbooks
Secondary Data Collection Methods
There are many ways to collect Secondary data for research.
- Collect the data from Books, Websites, journals, etc.
- Search databases that already exist, such as the census or government records.
- Buy data from a commercial source, such as a marketing research firm.
When to use Secondary Data
There are many instances when secondary data is the best option for researchers.
- It is typically less expensive and easier to obtain than primary data.
- It can be used to study trends over time and to compare different groups of people.
- Secondary data can provide information at a level of detail that is not possible with primary data.
Advantages of Secondary Data
Some key advantages od Primary data are follows:
- It is already collected and ready to be analyzed. This can save time and money for researchers who would otherwise have to collect the data themselves.
- It can provide a more complete picture than primary data. This is because secondary data often comes from multiple sources, which can give a more well-rounded view than just one source.
- It can be more reliable than primary data. This is because secondary data has usually been collected by professional organizations using standardized methods, which can make the data more reliable than primary data which may be collected by individuals using their own methods.
Disadvantages of Secondary Data
There are some disadvantages of using secondary data.
- The data may be out of date and no longer relevant to the research question.
- Data may have been collected for a different purpose than the current research, which can make it difficult to interpret.
- Secondary data may not be as reliable as primary data because it has not been collected specifically for the current research project.
