Primary data and secondary data are the foundations of any research. To help you understand both types more clearly, here are the key distinctions and relationship between the two:
- Definitions and scope:
Primary data is any first hand data that the researcher conducts investigations to collect, in the form of interviews, surveys, polls, focus groups etc.
Secondary data is basically access to any second hand data, and was not collected to fit the specific needs of the researcher, although it may have ample information to fully or partly satisfy the needs. It is simply that it is not “collected” by the researcher directly, and is instead it is “accessed”.
For example, if a researcher hires a form to conduct consumer research, or does the research in-house. In both cases, since they were exclusively done to meet researcher’s needs and requirements, it is primary data.
However, when the researcher accesses a ready-made research report done by a firm or individual in the past, then it is secondary data, since the research was already done and not exclusively to fit the researcher’s needs.
- Collection process:
Primary data collection methods are defined by the specific needs and requirements of the researcher.
Whereas, secondary data collection “was” defined by the parameters/ requirements of whoever collected them.
For example, many research firms conduct primary research and publish reports based on the findings. Generally such firms take into account the general questions and queries that the target audience may want answers to, but are not specifically tailored to fit any firm or individual’s needs. This basically becomes secondary data for any firm or individual buying this report.
- Control over data quality and context of research:
Primary data collection provides full control over how the data is collected, processed, analysed and reported. The entire eco-system of primary data is built to meet the specific requirements in context to what the researcher needs.
However, secondary data is collected, processed, analyzed and reported based on how the organization or individual found it best. The researcher accessing the data doesn’t have any control over this process, and hence not the context either.
- Purpose and Application:
Primary data collection purpose is defined precisely by the need of the researcher and the whole process that unfolds is guided by the researcher’s core objectives. This collection process requires more investment than secondary data, but is deemed worthwhile by the organization or individual who requires this information to be collected first-hand.
Secondary data is typically collected either because the data more or less meets the requirement, typically in addition to more secondary data sources. It is also done to save cost and time. In many cases secondary data may be supplementary to primary data or may inspire specific primary data collection based on existing research already available.
