Primary and Secondary Data

Primary Versus Secondary Data

• Primary data: Information that is developed or gathered by the researcher specifically for the research project at hand.

• Secondary data: Information that has previously been gathered by someone other than the researcher and/or for some other purpose than the research project at hand

Classification of Secondary Data

• Internal secondary data: Data that have been collected within the firm

• Internal databases: Databases (collection of data and information describing items of interest) consisting of information gathered by a company typically during the normal course of business transactions

Classification of Secondary Data…cont.

• External secondary data: data obtained from outside the firm

• Types:• Published• Syndicated Services Data• External Databases

Classification of Secondary Data…cont.Types of External Secondary Data

• External secondary data • Published: Sources of information

prepared for public distribution and found in libraries or a variety of other entities

• Syndicated Services Data: Data provided by firms that collect data in a standard format and make them available to subscribing firms

Classification of Secondary Data…cont.Types of External Secondary Data

External Databases: Databases provided by outside firms; many are now available online (online information databases)

• Bibliographic databases..citations by subject• Numeric or statistical databases, 2000

Census• Directory or list databases, AMA

membership list• Comprehensive databases, Contain all of

the above, i.e.Lexis-Nexis

The New York Chapter of the AMA Publishes a Directory of Marketing

Research firms

Advantages of Secondary Data

• Obtained quickly (compared to primary data gathering)

• Inexpensive (compared to primary data gathering)

• Usually available• Enhances existing primary data

Disadvantages of Secondary Data

• Mismatch of the units of measurement Differing class definitions used – Need users “in

between” heavy, medium or light users • Timeliness • Need to assess the credibility of the reported

data

Evaluating Secondary Data

How to assess the credibility of the reported data • What was the purpose of the study?• Who collected the information and when was this

done?• What information was collected (questions, scales,

etc.)?• How was the information obtained (sampling frame,

method of sample draw, communication method, resulting sample, etc.)?