In the world of research, there are two main types of data sources: primary and secondary. While primary research involves collecting new data directly from individuals or sources, secondary research involves analyzing existing data already collected by someone else. Today we’ll discuss secondary research.
One common source of this research is published research reports and other documents. These materials can often be found in public libraries, on websites, or even as data extracted from previously conducted surveys. In addition, many government and non-government agencies maintain extensive data repositories that can be accessed for research purposes.
While secondary research may not offer the same level of control as primary research, it can be a highly valuable tool for gaining insights and identifying trends. Researchers can save time and resources by leveraging existing data sources while still uncovering important information.
Secondary research also known as desk research is the process of collecting and analyzing existing data from secondary sources. This data was originally collected by someone else for another primary purpose. Secondary research is an essential part of the research process and is necessary in many situations. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore when and why secondary research is necessary, its key benefits, and provide actionable tips to conduct effective secondary research.
When Should You Conduct Secondary Research?
There are several situations where conducting secondary research is advisable before diving into primary research
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When entering a new research area or market: Secondary research is extremely useful when you or your organization are new to a research topic or market. Existing data provides context to develop a baseline understanding of the landscape and identify potential knowledge gaps.
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To supplement primary research: Secondary research can support and validate findings from primary research like surveys or interviews. It provides a macro-level perspective to complement primary research results.
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To determine if further research is warranted: Reviewing existing data through secondary research can help determine if it’s worthwhile to conduct further primary research in an area. The insights can highlight what’s already known versus unknown.
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When research budgets are limited: Secondary research is relatively inexpensive compared to primary research. Existing data can provide valuable insights when research budgets are tight.
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For pre-research insights: Exploring secondary sources can reveal early insights to guide the focus for upcoming primary research. It provides direction on what to dig deeper on.
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When high control over research is unnecessary: Secondary data allows you to gain knowledge without needing to control the data collection methodology. This can be an advantage in some cases.
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To establish a historical understanding: Sources like textbooks, news archives, and journals provide a historical lens to understand how views on a topic have evolved over time through qualitative data.
Key Benefits of Secondary Research
There are several advantages that make secondary research a valuable part of the research process:
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It’s accessible and convenient: A wealth of secondary data is readily available both online and offline. This makes secondary research relatively quick and easy to conduct.
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The data already exists: You can leverage pre-existing data instead of having to collect information from scratch through primary research. This saves significant time and costs.
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It provides background context: Secondary research gives you a well-rounded perspective on your topic and highlights potential knowledge gaps to address through further research.
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Large data sets are available: Sources like government databases contain vast amounts of quantitative data that would be infeasible to collect through primary research.
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It avoids participant fatigue: Relying on existing data avoids survey fatigue among potential primary research participants who get over-sampled.
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The data is unbiased: Secondary research provides an impartial perspective since you didn’t directly participate in collecting the data.
Tips for Effective Secondary Research
Follow these tips to ensure your secondary research is comprehensive, efficient, and provides maximum value:
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Start broad: Cast a wide net early in the process before narrowing down your sources. Look for diverse viewpoints from multiple types of sources.
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Verify credibility: Carefully evaluate sources to ensure data credibility and a sound methodology. Be wary of potential bias.
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Look for gaps: Identify potential knowledge gaps in existing data to focus subsequent primary research.
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Take thorough notes: Meticulously document sources and maintain an organized system to track data.
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Check dates: Ensure data is recent and relevant enough to inform current research needs.
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Corroborate findings: Compare findings from multiple sources to identify common themes and outliers.
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Cite properly: Follow standards to properly cite secondary sources and avoid plagiarism.
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Fill gaps: Use primary research like surveys or interviews to fill gaps that emerge from analyzing secondary data.
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Refine as you go: Continuously re-evaluate sources as your understanding evolves to hone your approach.
When to Avoid Secondary Research
While secondary research has many benefits, it isn’t always the right approach. Cases where primary research may be more appropriate include:
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Highly original research: If conducting truly pioneering research, existing sources will be sparse so primary data is needed.
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Need for control: Primary research provides control over variables and methodology lacking in secondary sources.
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Proprietary research: Organizations may want exclusive research rights and data ownership unattainable with secondary sources.
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Specific population: If needing feedback from a very narrow, hard-to-reach population, primary research would be better.
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Detailed insights needed: Primary research like in-depth interviews can provide more detailed, granular insights.
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Rapidly changing market: For fast-moving markets, secondary data may quickly become outdated compared to new primary data.
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Verification required: If existing data needs to be verified or replicated, primary research is preferable.
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Irrelevant data: Secondary sources may not align well with your specific research goals and parameters.
Educational Institutions
Importance of collecting data from educational institutions for secondary research is often overlooked. However, more research is conducted in colleges and universities than any other business sector.
The data that is collected by universities is mainly for primary research. However, businesses or organizations can approach educational institutions and request for data from them.
Government and Non-Government Agencies
Data for secondary research can also be collected from some government and non-government agencies. For example, US Government Printing Office, US Census Bureau, and Small Business Development Centers have valuable and relevant data that businesses or organizations can use.
There is a certain cost applicable to download or use data available with these agencies. Data obtained from these agencies are authentic and trustworthy.
Secondary Research: Important UX Learning Right at Your Desk
What is secondary research & why is it important?
Secondary research needs to be verified and interpreted – Where there’s a lot of data from one source, a researcher needs to review and analyze it. The data may need to be verified against other data sets or your hypotheses for accuracy and to ensure you’re using the right data for your research.
Is secondary research better than primary research?
Compared to primary research, the collection of secondary data can be faster and cheaper to obtain, depending on the sources you use. Secondary data can come from internal or external sources.
Why do researchers use secondary data?
Researchers usually use secondary data to address new research objectives or to explore a different aspect of the original research topic of a previous study. Before choosing secondary research, a researcher needs to assess a number of factors.
Why do I need to verify my secondary research data?
The data may need to be verified against other data sets or your hypotheses for accuracy and to ensure you’re using the right data for your research. The researcher has had no control over the secondary research – As the researcher has not been involved in the secondary research, invalid data can affect the results.
