Quantitative Methods Questions
Primary data refers to data that is collected firsthand by the researcher for a specific research purpose. It is original and directly obtained from the source through methods such as surveys, interviews, observations, or experiments. Primary data is specific to the research question and is collected with a particular objective in mind.
On the other hand, secondary data refers to data that has already been collected by someone else for a different purpose. It is data that is already available and can be accessed through sources like books, articles, government reports, or online databases. Secondary data is not collected by the researcher but is used by them to analyze and draw conclusions for their own research.
In summary, the main difference between primary and secondary data is that primary data is collected firsthand by the researcher, while secondary data is already available and collected by someone else.