3.2.2—Primary research and secondary research

Primary research collects new information for the specific question; secondary research uses existing information collected for another purpose. Each can be qualitative or quantitative.

Primary data can be tailored but costs time and money. Secondary data is faster but may be outdated, biased, inaccessible or measured with a different definition.

A firm may combine official population data with its own interviews and a product trial; the sources answer different parts of the decision.

“Primary” does not mean accurate and “secondary” does not mean weak; judge method, relevance and credibility.