What is secondary data?

What is secondary data?

• A. Information that has already been collected by previous researchers (desk research).
• B. Information that has been obtained first hand by the researcher.
• C. Data produced by experiments.
• D. Data from interviews with participants.

Answer: (A)

Secondary data is information that has already been collected by someone else for a purpose other than your current study, typically found through desk-based research. This includes things like census data, government statistics, or results from prior studies. The crucial point is you did not gather this data yourself; it already exists. This contrasts with primary data, which you collect firsthand through methods like experiments, surveys, or interviews. So the best choice is the one describing information that has already been collected by previous researchers.

Secondary data is information that has already been collected by someone else for a purpose other than your current study, typically found through desk-based research. This includes things like census data, government statistics, or results from prior studies. The crucial point is you did not gather this data yourself; it already exists. This contrasts with primary data, which you collect firsthand through methods like experiments, surveys, or interviews. So the best choice is the one describing information that has already been collected by previous researchers.