Which is a secondary data source?

Which is a secondary data source?

• A. Interviews
• B. Focus Groups
• C. Online Surveys
• D. Newspapers

Answer: (D)

Secondary data sources are data that already exist and were collected by someone else for a purpose other than your current study. Newspapers fit this description because the information they contain—statistics, reports, articles—was gathered and published by journalists or organizations prior to your use. You can analyze that already-made data for your own research, but you’re not collecting new information directly from people. In contrast, interviews, focus groups, and online surveys involve asking people or distributing questionnaires to obtain fresh data specifically for your project, so they’re primary data sources.

Secondary data sources are data that already exist and were collected by someone else for a purpose other than your current study. Newspapers fit this description because the information they contain—statistics, reports, articles—was gathered and published by journalists or organizations prior to your use. You can analyze that already-made data for your own research, but you’re not collecting new information directly from people.

In contrast, interviews, focus groups, and online surveys involve asking people or distributing questionnaires to obtain fresh data specifically for your project, so they’re primary data sources.