Sources-Data 1

Sources of Data
At the broadest level, information sources that are available to the marketing researcher can
be classified as primary or secondary.
Primary data
-are collected for a specific research need: in this sense they are customised and require in
most cases, specialised data-collection procedures. Interviewing methods and experimental
designs are used to collect primary data.
Secondary data
-involve already published data collected for purposes other than the specific research need at
hand.
i) internal secondary data are available within the organisation-for example, accounting
records, management decision support systems, or sales records.
ii)external secondary data are available outside the organisation from two main sources:
library and other public sources and syndicated services that that involve data collected under
standardised procedures intended to serve the needs of a variety of clients.
Characteristics of primary and secondary data
1.Primary data are gathered for a specific purpose and conform to the objective of a particular
research design.
2.Because gathering primary data requires specialised expertise( for example survey design
and administration),it can be both expensive and time-consuming.
3.Because secondary data already has been collected and may be published, their acquisition
is relatively inexpensive: they frequently can be located quickly using appropriate printed
reference tools or newer information technologies.
4. The examination of available secondary data is a pre-requisite to the collection of primary
data; indeed, it can help the researcher to define the parameters of the primary research. For
example , national consumption patterns of a product collected by a trade association like the
Retailers Association of Zimbabwe(secondary data)may provide useful benchmarks against
which a firm’s sales(primary data) can be measured.
5.The examination of secondary data can be of critical importance in strategic marketing
planning because it may alert management to future threats or opportunities in the
marketplace.
Evaluating secondary information

The quality of the information that is used in solving a marketing-related problem should be
determined ,regardless of how the data were obtained, Researchers should especially examine
external secondary information because the data were collected for a purpose other than the
current one by someone outside the organisation. Information obtained from secondary
sources is not equally all reliable and/or valid. Secondary information can be misleading, and
the data must be evaluated carefully regarding its recency and credibility.
When evaluating secondary information, you should consider the source of data, the
measures used, the time period in which the data were collected ,and the appropriateness of
the analyses. The user of secondary information should always ask the following questions:
1.What was the purpose of the study? A fundamental question concerns why the information
was collected in the first place. Rarely are data collected without intent. The intent of the
study ultimately determines the degree of precision, the types of scales used and the method
of data collection.
2.Who collected the information? Because secondary information is collected by someone
outside the organisation ,a natural question concerns the expertise and credibility of the
source. Organisations that provide secondary information differ with respect to their technical
competence ,resources and overall quality. First one can learn about the reputation of various
sources of secondary information by contacting clients and others who have used the
information provided by the source. Second, one can investigate how te data were obtained
and training and expertise present in the organisation sup[plying the information.
3.What information was collected? Identify what information was collected by the
organisation supplying the data. It is important to identify:
i)what was measured?
ii)in what context were the data collected-were all leading brands included in the taste study?
iii)what was the relationship between what was measured and the event of interest-were self-
report data used to infer actual behaviour?
iv)how were the data classified-were the data broken down by uses and markets , or were
they simply aggregated?
4.When was the information collected? The time period during which secondary data were
collected plays an integral part in how the data should be interpreted. Factors that are present
at the time the data were collected may influence results.
5.How was the information obtained? An essential ingredient in evaluating the quality of
secondary information is the methodology employed to collect the data. For ,example the size
and nature of the target sample, the response rate obtained ,the questionnaire used ,the
experimental procedures employed (if any),the interview procedure followed, and the
analytical method should be examined in detail in order to adequately evaluate the quality of
data collection. When evaluating the procedure employed in collecting data, the critical issue
is one of bias; that is ,was there anything in the collection procedure that could potentially
lead to a particular result ,that could produce results that could be generalised to the target
population, or that could invalidate the results?
6.Is the information consistent with other information? In principle, two or more independent
sources if information should agree. When one is evaluating secondary information, a good
strategy is to try to find multiple sources of data, and then compare their conclusions. When
differences exist, one should try to find the reasons for such differences and should
eventually determine which source is more reliable. This may be difficult or impossible to do
depending on the amount of disclosure concerning the collection procedure.

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Sources of Data

Evaluating secondary information

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