What is the difference between primary and secondary data?

 What is the difference between primary and secondary data?

There is a difference between primary and secondary data used for various research purposes. These differ mainly depending on the purpose of data collection. If the data collected is original and is collected for the first time by a researcher or researcher, it is primary data. On the other hand, if the data is collected using already available sources, it is secondary data.

Definition of primary research data

Primary data, also known as raw data, are those obtained directly from the researcher with the use of their own instruments and experience. These are obtained with the purpose of addressing the phenomenon under study. They tend to be high cost because organizations require staff and a strong investment to carry out the investigation process.

Primary data is collected through different methods such as:

Questionnaires

surveys

Interviews

Study of cases

Definition of secondary research data

These data are the set of information that has already been collected by another person during a different research process. These data are faster to obtain and at a lower cost, but on many occasions they are not updated, which can affect the success of the investigation.

Secondary data is collected through:

Publications from government organizations and private companies

Books

Records

Articles

Websites

I recommend that you learn more about primary and secondary research.

Differences between primary and secondary data

The main differences between primary and secondary data are:

Information search:

 Generally, primary data is created and published by scientists, while secondary data arises from the interpretation of the former, or collected by the government and organizations.

Reliability in the data:

 One of the most important aspects of primary and secondary data is its veracity. Secondary data often becomes outdated over time and the content can make the conclusion of the investigation unsound. Instead, raw data is collected in real time, which makes it much more credible.

Application of data:

 Primary data is often more complex and slow to apply compared to secondary data. The first ones are used to solve the phenomenon that is currently studied, whereas the secondary data are collected above all with the purpose of solving different problems that could arise in the future.

Cost of data collection:

 Collecting primary data requires resources such as time, labor and money. Secondary data, on the other hand, can be obtained much more quickly and is very cheap and often free of charge.

Specificity of the data: 

The primary data has the objective of always being specific and covering each of the needs of the researcher, who is in charge of its verification and quality. While secondary data is more general and the researcher cannot easily check its veracity or quality.

Data availability:

 Primary data is obtained raw, while secondary data is obtained from the curation of the first. Similarly, secondary data arises when statistical methods are applied to primary data.

conclusion

The primary and secondary data must be applied by the researcher according to the objective of the study that he plans to carry out. If you want to carry out data collection through online surveys, consult with our online advisors and start obtaining the data you need.