Secondary Research – A Definitive Guide

Example of Secondary Research

For example, if a student is writing a thesis on the impact of social media applications on mental health, for secondary research, that student will use:

• Published academic articles
• Already published survey results
• Government health reports
  
• Statistics from reputable research organisations

Here, the students will instead use existing data to answer their research questions, rather than conducting their own surveys or interviews.

Points to Consider Before Undertaking Secondary Research

Before selecting secondary research, a researcher must assess several key factors. Since the researcher has not yet collected the data, they must familiarise themselves with it.

The researcher should consider:

• What was the method used to collect the data?
  
• The population of the study
  
• The aim of the study
  
• Determine the response categories for each question that was displayed to respondents.
  
• Assess whether to apply weights when analysing the data.

Types of Secondary Data

Secondary research, like primary research, can be:

• Qualitative: Interviews or focus groups from previous studies are used to get deeper insights into a problem or topic.
  
• Quantitative: Statistical or numerical information gathered through surveys or questionnaires in earlier research.
  
• Mixed: A combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Advantages of Secondary Research

1. Easy Availability of Data

The key advantage of secondary research is that data is readily available in most cases, especially from internet sources.

2. Multiple Reliable Sources

Secondary research sources such as:

• Online libraries
• Academic databases
• Journals
• E-books
• Online articles
• Government repositories

These can all be accessed to collect data on any given topic.  

3. Saves Time

It saves time for the researcher and enables them to collect a relatively large dataset without having to start from scratch.

4. Cost-Effective

Many researchers appreciate the fact that secondary research is inexpensive since no direct data is being gathered from a real population.

5. Identifies Research Gaps

Secondary research is beneficial in many ways, one of which is that it enables researchers to identify gaps in existing research on a specific topic. 

• It can generate preliminary ideas before a more in-depth study.
  
• It helps decide if new primary data collection is even necessary.

6. Avoids Duplication of Effort

The implementation of secondary research at the beginning of an investigation will:

• Uncover gaps in existing data.
  
• Show whether the proposed research has already been completed.
• Indicate if the information being sought is already available. This may alleviate the necessity for time-consuming and costly primary research.

7. Public Accessibility and Ethical Ease

Another distinct feature of secondary research is that the data are often publicly accessible and therefore do not require permission or consent from study participants. 

Moreover, handling secondary data appropriately can reduce concerns about potential ethical violations during the research process.

When to Use Secondary Research

Secondary research is instrumental:

• When the goal is to discover knowledge gaps.
•  When the research project is based on previous work and aims to explore new patterns and correlations in current datasets, rather than producing fresh results.
• When genuine data sources, such as government or business reports, already exist.
•  A recent data collection effort has gathered information relevant to the study’s objectives, and collecting new data would not be cost-effective or feasible.

Sources for Secondary Research Data Collection

Secondary data can be collected from a variety of sources, including:

• Online sources

Online data collection is a common approach in secondary research, as it provides researchers with access to a large number of both free and commercial sources that can be readily obtained. 

Indeed, internet sources bring together everything with other relevant secondary research data sources with just one click.

• Library sources

 Libraries, both public and private, are highly significant sources of knowledge and information. Many of them, in particular, have copies of dissertations contributed by academics and students. Libraries are also an excellent resource for commercial research and business reports. 

Educational institutions, including libraries, typically contain copies of a variety of primary research that they are ready to offer to further knowledge and understanding in a specific field.

• Government reports 

Government websites have the potential to reveal valuable research data, as they are audited and credible. They can therefore be used to draw findings in a wide range of study settings. 

However, caution should be exercised when accessing sensitive material.

Frequently Asked Questions