Introduction
Data is a central and integral part of any research since scientists use them to build hypotheses, justify the importance of their research, and its implementation. However, while it is enough to use secondary sources for some proposals and analyses, the study of other issues requires primary data. The difference between such studies is that in the first case, scientists can find the answer by collecting and interpreting information from books, reports, or articles. At the same time, researchers in the second case cannot find the answer in such existing sources. Consequently, scientists use the primary data such as the results of an interview, observation, or experiment, or the secondary data that is the author’s interpretation there results.
Main body
Primary and secondary data differ in the way they are received and used, which corresponds to their name. Scientists receive primary information directly from its source, and it is new, unique, and contains a clear answer to the research question. For example, data obtained through interviews of adolescents about their preferences for drinks through Google forms are the primary data. This information can be used in marketing or medical research, depending on the questions and purpose of the interview. In addition, the interview, in this case, can be quantitative, in-depth qualitative, or mixed. Secondary data is information that has already been processed and carries some ideas or conclusions. For example, data from The Condition of Education report 2020 is secondary as its authors have already processed information, generated graphs, and highlighted the most important facts (Hussar et al., 2020). These facts can be used to formulate hypotheses of research, write newspaper articles, and suggest changes in the education system. Therefore, the main difference between the two types of data is the source and the method of obtaining them, which subsequently affect their interpretation.
Moreover, both kinds of data have positive and negative features that determine the possibilities of their use. The advantage of primary data is that scientists can be sure of their reliability and also directly answer the question posed by the research (Kadam et al., 2013). In other words, the researchers formulate the survey or the experimental method in such a way as to obtain the most accurate answer to the question. However, collecting such data is usually costly and requires significant funding. For example, Trochim (2006) notes that qualitative research takes an enormous amount of time and effort, and the most accurate and convenient research methods are more expensive than the sources of funding would like. At the same time, secondary data have the advantage that they are cheap or free because they are collected from literature, reports, and Internet sources (Kadam et al., 2013). However, this fact also shows a lack of secondary data, since all these sources may not have information that accurately answers the research question. Consequently, scientists usually combine both types of data to get results with limited funding.
Conclusion
In conclusion, primary and secondary data have various collection and processing methods, as well as disadvantages and advantages. However, both types of information are necessary and used for research and are often applied in combination with each other. Nevertheless, scientists choose and emphasize one kind of data, which is more important for their work based on the goals and research question, as well as the available funding.
References
Hussar, B., Zhang, J., Hein, S., Wang, K., Roberts, A., Cui, J., Smith, M., Bullock Mann, F., Barmer, A., and Dilig, R. (2020). The condition of education 2020 (NCES 2020-144). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.
Kadam, A., Shaikh, R., & Parap, P. (2013). Data collection – primary & secondary [PowerPoint slides].
Trochim, W. (2006). Qualitative measures. Research methods knowledge base.