Primary & Secondary Data

Primary Strengths

-Fit for Purpose -Research knows if there are any faults wrong with the data

Secondary Strengths

-May be the only method for some topics -More cost & time efficient

Secondary Weaknesses

-Researcher doesn't know if there are any faults with the data -Not fit for purpose

Primary Weaknesses

-Time Consuming -More Expensive

Primary Examples

Observations/Questionnaires/Interviews

Secondary Examples

Official Statistics/Documents/Media

Primary Data

data that has been gathered first-hand, generated by the researcher themselves.

Secondary Data

sources involve the researcher taking advantage of data that has already been generated (such as government crime statistics).