Secondary data
Secondary data refers to information that has been collected by someone other than the researcher using it. This type of data stands in contrast to primary data, which is gathered directly from original sources by the researcher. Examples of secondary data include previous polls, census records, and other studies conducted by different entities. The data can be categorized into quantitative, which includes numerical facts, and qualitative, which addresses more abstract concepts like personal feelings or opinions.
One of the main advantages of secondary data is its cost-effectiveness and time efficiency—it eliminates the need for researchers to conduct their own surveys or experiments. Additionally, secondary data often provides a broader scope, allowing researchers to access extensive datasets, such as national census information. However, a notable disadvantage is that researchers lack control over how the data was originally collected, which may introduce biases or overlook specific interests of the new inquiry. While previously access to secondary data was limited, the internet has significantly improved access to historical and research data, making it easier for researchers to find the information they need. Overall, secondary research can offer valuable insights, although it requires careful consideration of the context and potential biases in the data.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Secondary data
Secondary data is any data that was gathered by someone other than the person using it. It contrasts with primary data, which is information gathered directly by the user from its original source. One example of research using secondary data is looking up the results of a poll previously conducted by somebody else, as opposed to conducting a new poll oneself, which would be an example of gathering primary data. While primary data is often preferred because it can be better tailored to a particular research question and reduces the likelihood of unknown biases influencing the results, secondary data has certain advantages as well.
Overview
Secondary data, like all data, can be classified as either quantitative or qualitative. Quantitative data involves hard, often numerical facts and statistics, such as census records, while qualitative data addresses more abstract questions, such as what a person was thinking or feeling at a particular time. Qualitative data can provide far greater insight than quantitative data, but it can also be much more subjective. When research is being performed on behalf of a particular company or organization, secondary data may be divided into two alternative categories: internal data, which is collected from within the company; and external data, which is collected by another entity, such as a government agency or a professional research service.
One of the main advantages of using secondary data is the fact that it is cheaper and less time consuming. A researcher need not spend money or time organizing a survey, an experiment, or some other data-gathering procedure when the necessary data has been gathered already. Secondary data may also provide greater scope, both in time and in space, than a single researcher or even a group would have the resources to achieve. Census records, for example, can provide data on the entire population of a country, give or take, sometimes dating from centuries earlier.
Conversely, one major disadvantage of using secondary data is the researcher’s lack of control over the questions that were asked. If the available data does not address a particular nuance or the specific geographic area that the researcher is interested in, they may have to alter the research question to proceed. In addition, the original researcher may not have properly documented their procedures or may have unknowingly introduced bias into the questions that a new researcher would be unaware of. This is especially problematic when dealing with qualitative data, where responses are more subjective and thus may be influenced by how a particular question is framed. When using secondary data, a researcher should have sufficient context to account for any error or bias.
Previously, a significant barrier to the use of secondary data was a lack of ready access to earlier research. However, since the advent of the internet, this has become less of a problem, as more and more data has been made available online. World governments typically provide online access to many historical records, among other sources. In the United Kingdom, information is made available by the UK Data Archive, which hosts the country’s largest digital repository of research data pertaining to the humanities and social sciences. The UK Data Archive also manages the UK Data Service, which provides access not only to the Data Archive but also to numerous other sources of information, including records from governmental and intergovernmental organizations.
Secondary Research
Secondary research is removed another step from primary data. After primary data has been collected by a primary researcher, if a second person accesses this data and produces their own analysis of the primary data, the document they produce is then considered secondary research. Conducting secondary research also refers to the process of collecting secondary data. While secondary research can have all of the pitfalls of secondary data, it also allows for new connections and deeper meaning to be derived from the original data and the pairing together of different sets of data. On the same hand, this invites a greater possibility for inaccuracy because of the increase of potentially subjective interpretation.
Bibliography
Alvarez, Juan, et al. “Knowledge Creation and the Use of Secondary Data.” Journal of Clinical Nursing, vol. 21, no. 19–20, 2012, pp. 2699–710.
Bevan, Shaun, et al. “Understanding Selection Bias, Time-Lags and Measurement Bias in Secondary Data Sources: Putting the Encyclopedia of Associations Database in Broader Context.” Social Science Research, vol. 42, no. 6, 2013, pp. 1750–64.
Boslaugh, Sarah. Secondary Data Sources for Public Health. Cambridge UP, 2007.
Camfield, Laura, and Richard Palmer-Jones. “Improving the Quality of Development Research: What Could Archiving Qualitative Data for Reanalysis and Revisiting Research Sites Contribute?” Progress in Development Studies, vol. 13, no. 4, 2013, pp. 323–38.
Irwin, Sarah. “Qualitative Secondary Data Analysis: Ethics, Epistemology and Context.” Progress in Development Studies, vol. 13, no. 4, 2013, pp. 295–306.
Moore, Niamh. “(Re)Using Qualitative Data?” Sociological Research Online, vol. 12, no. 3, 2007.
Silva, Elizabeth B. “What’s (Yet) to Be Seen? Re-using Qualitative Data.” Sociological Research Online, vol. 12, no. 3, 2007.
Smith, Emma. Using Secondary Data in Educational and Social Research. Open UP, 2006.
"Using Secondary Data." NCVO, 31 Mar. 2023, www.ncvo.org.uk/help-and-guidance/strategy-and-impact/impact-evaluation/planning-your-impact-and-evaluation/choosing-evaluation-methods/using-secondary-data/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
Vartanian, Thomas P. Secondary Data Analysis. Oxford UP, 2011.