Marketing Research Tools
Primary and secondary research tools are two different approaches to collecting data for market research. Each form of data collection consists of different uses, benefits and limitations. Using qualitative and quantitative approaches the data collection forms and tools vary. Primary and secondary research is a useful marketing tool that contains various tools.
Definition
Primary Research
Primary research is a process of collecting data in reference to the research subject or problem at hand directly from the real world. Examples of primary research include interviews, surveys and observations. Primary research is data collected by the researcher themselves specifically for the situation (Owl, 2010).
Secondary Research
Secondary research is data that has been prior collected by another researcher for a purpose other than the subject or problem at hand. Secondary data can consist of internal records, external sources such as printed sources (such as magazines and books), internet sources, or other marketing data sources (Aaker, Day, & Kumar, 2007).
Differences in Data Collection Tools
Primary and secondary data are both useful forms of data collection for marketing research. Primary and secondary data vary in the way they can be used, their benefits, and their overall weaknesses.
Uses of Data
Secondary data can be useful when collecting already formulated data, such as population numbers or income figures. Examples of such are reports that come from the Census Bureau. Also, secondary data can be useful when examining new and arising products that may later be enhanced by primary research to expand one’s own market. Secondary data is useful as well to cross reference primary data (Aaker, ...
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...e that is more primary research, such as a focus group. There is little to no room of interpretation and needs to be focused. Quantitative research on the other hand is large scale sampling, has more room for interpretation, is more casual and descriptive, and comes in a form of questionnaires. Secondary research can highly benefit from quantitative research and primary research as well can be used to collect this data set. Primary and secondary research is two research tools that contain benefit and weakness and change in regards to their method of collection.
Works Cited
Aaker, David A. Day, George S. Kumar, V. Marketing Research. (2007). Retrieved 5/26/2011.
Gates, Roger. McDaniel, Carl Jr. Marketing Research. (2007). Retrieved 5/26/2011.
Owl. Primary research. (2010). Retrieved 5/24/2011. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/559/03/
Research can be quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative research is objective and involves measuring the phenomena under investigation. Qualitative research is subjective, explores experiences and feelings, and involves the recording of phenomena that cannot easily be quantified (Toates, 2010, pp. 5-6). Both are empirical since they involve data collection (OU, n.d.).
There are three functioning roles that marketing research has: descriptive, diagnostic, and predictive (McDaniel & Gates, p. 7, 2006). ...
Primary marketing research is tailored to a company's particular needs. It is conducted by an individual or by an outsourced research firm. It gathers information directly from the source. “Primary sources of information is information you gather direct from the source. This information is more time consuming to gather but it does ensure that you have information that is directly relevant and timely” (Karen Paiyo). There are various research tools used when conducting primary research. These tools include interviews, focus groups, surveys, and observation. Each can be extremely effective. Interviews (one-on-one conversations with prospective purchasers) are excellent for testing of research hypotheses. They give tremendous insight regarding a product or service. Focus groups (groups meeting consisting of a ...
A strength of secondary research is its time saving and is easy accessible. For example, if someone needed information to use fast they can go on the internet and will have access to a range of information they can use, instead of having to create a research method to use and then go out and collect the data it will be faster to go and use someone else 's data.
The data collection will be descriptive and explanatory as plausible methods are tests and surveys where there are consolidation of data and questionnaires. The methods use will replication research method where the methods will be repeated from other relevant studies but with different inputs of variables.
Primary: consists of a collection of original data collected by the researcher. I found an example of Primary research in the article Knife crime statics; page number 4, table A. The table records the number and proportion of selected violent and sexual offences involving a knife or sharp instrument recorded by the police. In this case the empirical result is the number and proportion of the total selected offences in which a knife was used in each year since 2008/09. The author used information recorded by the police from England and Wales by using this information he supports his evidence and provides original thinking about the topic, in order to do so he compares the results between six different offences of data recorded from 2008 to 2012. This table in the report represents a new discovery. It can be seen fro...
Primary research is a type of research in which a researcher will have to conduct themselves, for instance, surveys and interviews. This form of research is important to the academic cultures because they create and conducted their own experiment. The results from the experiment are their own fresh new findings that no one has tampered with.
Data collected by someone else; for another purpose, is a viable option for a researcher with limited time and resources.6 This method like other traditional methods of research follows a systematic model to include, developing research questions, identifying a data set, etc. Some advantages of utilizing secondary data include; the researcher not having devote finances for research, efficiency of conducting research, and provides researchers with opportunities to engage in work to test new ideas, theories, frameworks, and models of research design.
This will include primary as well as secondary research. The primary research would include a survey that would be conducted in selected localities of Delhi and nearby areas where the responses of consumers would be recorded through a designed questionnaire. Secondary research would include various aspects of brand management through internet, journals, company reports, expert views etc.
“Primary data are gathered specifically for the research project at hand. Secondary data is data that have been previously gathered for some other purpose.” (Burns & Bush, 2006). This paper will explore the differences in primary and secondary research when using qualitative and quantitative approaches. The paper will further discuss the tools that are used for each approach.
Literature reviews allows researchers to gain knowledge on the topic, in addition it is also “nonreactive, meaning it does not include direct contact with subjects and it will not influence the results” (Little 2014). However, there is no way to identify whether the data is accurate itself, also researchers may not acquire literature on their research topic. Due to these reasons secondary data analysis is not viewed as the most reliable or valid form of research for sociology. Within the sociological approach of researching the next step is choosing the research sample this step is extremely important when dealing with society as it narrows it done to an ideal number of people. Research samples are not used within the scientific method which is a negative when studying about society as the research can be too broad and the results will not be as
For this research, I used primary and secondary sources to carry out my report for this information.
Primary marketing research is collected for the first time if the company has enough money to finance it, but in most case it is the second more accurate one. It is original and collected for a specific purpose, or to solve a specific problem. Primary research delivers more specific results than secondary research, more expensive and time consuming, which are an especially important consideration when the company is launching a new product or service. There are many ways to conduct primary research. By customizing tried-and-true approaches, focus groups, surveys, field tests, interviews or observation, you can gain information about your target market. Primary research is generally based on sampling techniques and requires statistical methodologies. The sample size could be as small as 1 percent of the market and thus the information and results gathered are highly accurate.
On the other hand, weaknesses existed. The primary research was the most difficult and frustrating sector, for it was difficult to keep in touch with the potential competitors; hence, a chance to learn more and analyse deeper from the potential competitors was missed. To conclude, the result and analysis of primary and market research which was based on the questionnaire was not convincing enough, and it was the main sector which needed to improve in the future.
Primary research is new data that is gathered by conducting different methods of marketing research.