Primary and Primary and Secondary DataSecondary Data

Primary and Secondary Data

• Define secondary and primary data• Describe primary data collection

methods• Describe sampling techniques• Identify advantages disadvantages

of different data gathering techniques

• Construct a survey

Secondary Data• Data gathered by another source (e.g.

research study, survey, interview)• Secondary data is gathered BEFORE

primary data. WHY?• Because you want to find out what is

already known about a subject before you dive into your own investigation. WHY?

• Because some of your questions can possibly have been already answered by other investigators or authors. Why “reinvent the wheel”?

Primary Data

• Data never gathered before• Advantage: find data you need to

suit your purpose• Disadvantage: usually more costly

and time consuming than collecting secondary data

• Collected after secondary data is collected

Primary Research Methods• Focus Groups – bring together

respondents with common characteristics• Observation - actually view respondents• Experiment - controlled variables and

respondent groups.• Non-personal survey – on site, telephone,

mail, fax, computer, panel• Personal interview - one-on-one survey

with respondents• Company records – internal document

survey research

Constructing the Questionnaire

Select the correct types of questions:• open ended – harder to score but get

“richer” information• closed ended, dichotomous – offer

two either/or responses (true/false; yes/no; for/against

• multiple choice – select one or more than one

• scaled response – gather range of “values” (strongly disagree, somewhat disagree, neutral, somewhat agree, strongly agree

1. Have you had any of the following medical preventive tests/exams?

_____ Cholestrol

_____ Blood Sugar

_____ lung x-ray

_____ electrocardiogram

_____ stress test

2. Do you currently smoke?

_____ YES

_____ NO

3. Please evaluate the following statement:

I understand the University’s code of conduct as it relates to plagiarism.

____absolutely agree

____somewhat agree

____neutral

____somewhat disagree

____absolutely disagree

Important characteristics of good questionnaires

• Plan a user-friendly format• Gather demographic data – age, gender,

etc., when necessary. • Guarantee anonymity• Ensure ease of tabulation – Scantron forms• Ask well-phrased and unambiguous

questions that can be answered• Develop for completeness – get all the

data• Pilot test the instrument

Introductory Statement

The purpose of this survey is to help management identify family issues that our employees experience that are related to job performance. Please respond to the following survey items by checking the appropriate response next to each question/item. Your responses are completely anonymous and will only be used to assess overall employee characteristics.

ensure anonymity

purpose of the survey

END