This term refers to data that is collected routinely as part of the day-to-day operations of an organization, institution or agency. Compared to primary data, secondary data tends to be readily available and inexpensive to obtain. In addition, administrative data tends to have large samples, because the data collection is comprehensive and routine. That allows researchers to detect change over time. Going back to the return-to-work study mentioned above, the researchers could also examine secondary data in addition to the information provided by their primary data i.
With a combination of these two data sources, the researchers may be able to determine which factors predict a shorter work absence among injured workers. This information could then help improve return to work for other injured workers. The type of data researchers choose can depend on many things including the research question, their budget, their skills and available resources.
Websites have a lot of information that businesses or organizations can use to suit their research needs. However, organizations need to consider only authentic and trusted website to collect information. Government and nongovernment agencies: Data for secondary research can also be collected from some government and non-government agencies. There is a certain cost applicable to download or use data available with these agencies. Data obtained from these agencies are authentic and trustworthy.
Public libraries: Public libraries are another good source to search for data for this research. Public libraries have copies of important research that were conducted earlier. They are a storehouse of important information and documents from which information can be extracted. The services provided in these public libraries vary from one library to another.
More often, libraries have a huge collection of government publications with market statistics, large collection of business directories and newsletters. 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. Commercial information sources: Local newspapers, journals, magazines, radio and TV stations are a great source to obtain data for secondary research. These commercial information sources have first-hand information on economic developments, political agenda, market research, demographic segmentation and similar subjects.
Businesses or organizations can request to obtain data that is most relevant to their study. Businesses not only have the opportunity to identify their prospective clients but can also know about the avenues to promote their products or services through these sources as they have a wider reach.
Here are the steps involved in conducting secondary research:. Identify the topic of research: Before beginning secondary research, identify the topic that needs research. Identify research sources: Next, narrow down on the information sources that will provide most relevant data and information applicable to your research. Collect existing data: Once the data collection sources are narrowed down, check for any previous data that is available which is closely related to the topic.
Data related to research can be obtained from various sources like newspapers, public libraries, government and non-government agencies etc. The suitable secondary data will be the one that correctly answers the questions highlighted above. When looking for the solutions to a linear programming problem, for instance, the solutions will be numbers that satisfy both the objective and the constraints. Any answer that doesn't satisfy both, is not a solution. This stage is what many classify as the real data analysis stage because it is the point where analysis is actually performed.
However, the stages highlighted above are a part of the data analysis process, because they influence how the analysis is performed. Once a dataset that appears viable in addressing the initial requirements discussed above is located, the next step in the process is the evaluation of the dataset to ensure the appropriateness for the research topic. The data is evaluated to ensure that it really addresses the statement of the problem and answers the research questions.
After which it will now be analyzed either using the quantitative method or the qualitative method depending on the type of data it is. Most of the sources of secondary data are easily accessible to researchers.
Most of these sources can be accessed online through a mobile device. People who do not have access to the internet can also access them through print. They are usually available in libraries, book stores, and can even be borrowed from other people.
Secondary data mostly require little to no cost for people to acquire them. Many books, journals, and magazines can be downloaded for free online.
Books can also be borrowed for free from public libraries by people who do not have access to the internet. Researchers do not have to spend money on investigations, and very little is spent on acquiring books if any.
The time spent on collecting secondary data is usually very little compared to that of primary data. The only investigation necessary for secondary data collection is the process of sourcing for necessary data sources. Therefore, cutting the time that would normally be spent on the investigation.
This will save a significant amount of time for the researcher. Secondary data makes it easy to carry out longitudinal studies without having to wait for a couple of years to draw conclusions. For example, you may want to compare the country's population according to census 5 years ago, and now.
Rather than waiting for 5 years, the comparison can easily be made by collecting the census 5 years ago and now. When re-evaluating data, especially through another person's lens or point of view, new things are uncovered. There might be a thing that wasn't discovered in the past by the primary data collector, that secondary data collection may reveal.
For example, when customers complain about difficulty using an app to the customer service team, they may decide to create a user guide teaching customers how to use it. The data collected through secondary sources may not be as authentic as when collected directly from the source.
This is a very common disadvantage with online sources due to a lack of regulatory bodies to monitor the kind of content that is being shared. Therefore, working with this kind of data may have negative effects on the research being carried out.
Researchers spend so much time surfing through a pool of irrelevant data before finally getting the one they need. This is because the data was not collected mainly for the researcher. In some cases, a researcher may not even find the exact data he or she needs, but have to settle for the next best alternative. Some data sources are known to exaggerate the information that is being shared. This bias may be some to maintain a good public image or due to a paid advert. This is very common with many online blogs that even go a bead to share false information just to gain web traffic.
For example, a FinTech startup may exaggerate the amount of money it has processed just to attract more customers. A researcher gathering this data to investigate the total amount of money processed by FinTech startups in the US for the quarter may have to use this exaggerated data. Some of the data sources are outdated and there are no new available data to replace the old ones. For example, the national census is not usually updated yearly. Therefore, there have been changes in the country's population since the last census.
However, someone working with the country's population will have to settle for the previously recorded figure even though it is outdated. Secondary data has various uses in research, business, and statistics. Researchers choose secondary data for different reasons, with some of it being due to price, availability, or even needs of the research. Although old, secondary data may be the only source of data in some cases. This may be due to the huge cost of performing research or due to its delegation to a particular body e.
In short, secondary data has its shortcomings, which may affect the outcome of the research negatively and also some advantages over primary data. It all depends on the situation, the researcher in question, and the kind of research being carried out. Similarly, when a researcher has a specific question or goal in mind, it can sometimes be difficult to identify secondary data that is valid for use, as the data might not have been collected during the timeframe the researcher was hoping for, or in correct the geographical region, etc.
Another disadvantage is that no matter what a researcher does to vet a secondary data set, they will never be able to know exactly how the data was collected, and how well that process was executed. Simply put, since the researcher conducting the study did not collect the data he or she will be using, he or she ultimately has no control over what their secondary data set contains. Secondary data analysis is a convenient and powerful tool for researchers looking to ask broad questions at a large scale.
While it has its benefits, such as its cost effectiveness and the breadth and depth of data that it provides access to, secondary data analysis can also force researchers to alter their original question, or work with a data set that otherwise is not ideal for their goals.
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