No matter how many research methods are involved in data collection, until now, all the expansion in the methodologies falls under 2 specific categories.
- Primary research
- Secondary research
Both the research provides information that is the answers to the research questions. However, data collection is the key factor that creates differences between the 2 research categories. It depends on the type of work for which you are carrying out the research; you first need to look at the requirement of your assignment or task; for instance, for thesis writing, you can opt for secondary research or can go for secondary data collection help, which can assist you in the research work.
Whereas, for dissertation writing, you need to carry out primary research, which is the mandatory requirement. Though primary research needs a lot of effort compared to secondary research, students usually prefer getting PhD data collection services for their assistance.
Primary Research
Primary research is the one you carry on your own the existing information on different websites of no use for you when carrying out primary research. So, therefore, you need to have ownership of the information you are researching.
Secondary Research
Secondary research is done based on the information already existing. Therefore, all you have to do while carrying out secondary research is fetch the present information.
Significant differences between Primary research and secondary research
Origin of Data
Primary research
Primary research gathers and utilizes non-existing and 100% original information, which is extracted through different data collection methods. The data collection methods for primary research are surveys, interviews, questionnaires, observation, experiments, etc.
Secondary Research
Secondary research is carried out with the help of the existing information on the internet. Therefore, the secondary research data collection methodologies are different from primary research. The data collection methods for secondary research are the internet, libraries, case studies existing relevant articles, etc. The methods seem more manageable, but it isn’t for real. You need to pay for some resources to get complete access to the information provided.
Differences in names
Primary research
With the qualities and ways of primary research, it has been called out from other names. The alias for primary research is the field research design. When carrying out primary research, you need to be totally involved in the process.
Secondary research
Same as the primary research, secondary research has also been assigned with a different name. Secondary research is referred to as desk research. The name of desk research is given because secondary research can be quickly done from the comfort of your desk. You don’t have to roam around when surfing the internet to extract information.
Type of data
Primary Research
Primary research is done with the gathering of data in real-time. The data of primary research is gathered in the current time of when you need to further lead your research. The information is one-handedly gathered by inserting the efforts to pull out the data collection methodologies for primary research.
Secondary Research
The data collected through secondary research is known as “past data”. The data is known as past data because it is not collected in real-time and is based on past experimentation and consequences. Therefore, you just need to utilize the past data according to the relevancy of your research project.
Purpose of research
Primary Research
The real-time data can help you with your problem-solving issue. For example, when conducting a survey, questionnaire, or interview, you can directly address your problem and get an ultimate solution to your problem directly.
Secondary research
Secondary research should never be used for the purpose of specific problem-solving. Instead, the information is gathered for a general-purpose, but it can help carry out primary research.
Need for conduction
Primary research
When an individual or a company needs to work on the information from the recent time or have current times data, they should opt for primary research. For example, an individual working on dissertation writing needs to have unique and new information with the scent of current time in it should consider employing the primary research methods. Likewise, companies that need to improvise or invent new campaigns should consider primary research about their target audience’s current and changing needs.
Secondary Research
When an individual needs to work on his thesis or use existing information for the purpose of requirement can opt for employing secondary research methods. Secondary research is carried out solely to enhance the published information most knowledgeably according to your project or assignment requirement.
Feasibility of conduction
Primary research
Primary research is challenging to carry out. It needs the person to travel from one place to another to gather the data from one platform to another. Also, primary research is conducted on a non-existing idea which increases the complexity of conduction.
Secondary Research
Secondary research is feasible to carry out. All you need to do is fetch out the valuable information and sketch it in your own way. The data collection methods for the secondary research are also effortless and give you unique ideas for your project.
Bottom line
The given differences may give you the awareness that both the research has different but equal needs. Various phases in your lives may ask you to carry out each research once. Upon experiencing something for the first time, it’s better to have prior knowledge and features about it. So the above content would be helpful for the said purpose. In many cases, it has been witnessed that the research combines or overlaps secondary research and the primary ones, reflecting the immaturity in working out the professionalism in your projects and assigning.
So make use of the above content in the best possible way possible.
