Primary vs. Secondary Research: which should I use?

How can you decide which type of research to include when you are working to answer a research question? Is one better than the other? Read on to review a short overview of what I think are the core differences between the two.

New or existing data?

Primary research involves gathering new information directly from a participant group, thereby working to generate new data. Secondary research involves gathering data from existing research and does not generate new data. In comparison, primary research is based on raw data, whereas secondary research uses existing information that has already been analyzed and interpreted.

Data sources:

Primary is based on raw data, whereas secondary is information that is analyzed and interpreted from original sources. Primary research can include any originally made artefact, such as diaries, photographs, questionnaires, observations or interviews, whereas secondary research focuses on the findings of other researchers. Primary research does not include review articles, as they are summaries of existing research literature or articles which analyze existing data through meta-analysis.

Which should you use?

Primary research is conducted if no existing data exists for your research question, leading you to design a study to create the data you seek. Usually researchers of primary data usually have some preexisting information about the subject, which has made them curious and causes them to explore further. The data collected in primary research is specific to the needs of the researcher, whereas in secondary, it may or may not be specific to the needs of the researcher. The amount of time and cost invested is a key factor to consider when choosing which research you will use.  Primary research tends to be very involved and so has highs cost and is time consuming.  With secondary research, the costs are lower and the time commitment is shorter, which may be appealing if the researcher aims to gather a broad understanding on a topic.

Ethical approval required?

Since human subjects may be directly impacted by the study, primary research often requires ethical approval. Conversely, secondary research does not involve interacting directly with human subjects, ethical approval is not required.

When deciding which type of research to use, perhaps you can consider completing a systematic literature review to explore existing thoughts and theories related to your subject.  Then, if your question remains unanswered, you can build out a plan to conduct primary research of your own to gather the data required.