Secondary research involves the summary, collation and/or synthesis of existing research. Secondary research is contrasted with primary research in that primary research involves the generation of data, whereas secondary research uses primary research sources as a source of data for analysis. A notable marker of primary research is the inclusion of a "methods" section, where the authors describe how the data was generated. Common examples of secondary research include textbooks, encyclopedias, news articles, review articles, and meta analyses. When conducting secondary research, authors may draw data from published academic papers, government documents, statistical databases, and historical records.
Fields
The term is widely used in primary research, legal research and market research. The principal methodology in health secondary research is the systematic review, commonly using meta-analytic statistical techniques, but other methods of synthesis, like realist reviews and meta-narrative reviews, have been developed in recent years. Such secondary research uses the primary research of others typically in the form of research publications and reports. In market research, secondary research is the practice of identifying information that has already been collected and made available online or offline. Secondary research allows the researcher to identify what existing information on a topic is freely available before spending time and money conducting extensive primary research. Secondary market research tends to be used to help with the following business objectives:
Understanding the structure and size of a market. For example, using government datasets to estimate the number of potential customers for a particular product
Uncovering brand perceptions. For example, reading review sites and online forums to develop an understanding of how the target audience perceives a brand
Gathering competitive or customer intelligence. For example, reviewing competitors' websites, or investor relations reports, with the goal of gathering intelligence on their strategic plans, financial performance or their value proposition
Building lists. For example, using social media tools to identify key influencers/experts in an industry
Developing an understanding of the buying process. For example, using search and web analytics tools to explore how the target audience search for and find certain products
Informing content marketing strategy. For example, using keyword research tools to identify the content topics that would have the most impact
Exploring industry trends. For example, using business and trade press to identify political, demographic, economic or technological trends that might impact the industry
Undertaking a risk analysis. For example, using business and trade press to identify financial, operational, compliance, technological, strategic or reputational risks
is research that is collected firsthand and original to the person using it. When conducting Primary research, the goal is to answer questions that have not been asked before. Additionally, the research has to be verified by others to help eliminate one’s own biases. Primary research can be a survey, observation, or an interview. This type of research tends to be more time consuming and can be costly. If possible, secondary research should be done before primary research, to determine what information is not already available. Secondary research is based on already published data and information gathered from other conducted studies. It is a common practice by researchers to conduct secondary research before primary research in order to determine what information is not already available. Secondary research is an easy place to start when starting a new research project. Secondary research can vary in credibility depending on where the data is coming from and who is sharing research. Making your own summary based on secondary sources can create biases and misinterpretations which can have a negative impact on the research project.
