Review these key points on the internal and external data available when constructing a business report to better understand the concepts covered in this piece. These data can also be split into qualitative (description, non-numeric, usually require context) and quantitative (numeric, measure); both are useful. Primary research is research one has done by oneself. Secondary research is research based on other people's primary research. Be sure to do the practice questions to solidify your understanding.
Primary research is usually defined as research you collect yourself.
This type of research is done to fill in gaps found during secondary research review. That is, one does not conduct primary research if you can address your research question with already existing secondary sources.
Think back to Martha's case we discussed earlier in this module; her interviews of homeless people in downtown Chicago are primary research. She is doing these interviews only because her existing secondary sources lack something she feels she needs now to properly answer her research question (about the current experience of homeless families in downtown Chicago). Primary research is used to supplement gaps in more accessible secondary research.
Purdue University's Online Writing Lab describes the following as typical primary research: