Secondary research involves the summary, collation and/or synthesis of existing research. Secondary research is contrasted with primary research in that primary research involves the generation of data, whereas secondary research uses primary research sources as a source of data for analysis.
A notable marker of primary research is the inclusion of a "methods" section, where the authors describe how the data was generated.
Common examples of secondary research include
textbooks
A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational institutions. Schoolbooks are textbook ...
,
encyclopedias,
news
News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different media: word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting, electronic communication, or through the testimony of observers and witnesses to events. N ...
articles,
review articles
A review article is an article that summarizes the current state of understanding on a topic within a certain discipline. A review article is generally considered a secondary source since it may analyze and discuss the method and conclusions ...
, and
meta analyses.
When conducting secondary research, authors may draw data from published academic papers, government documents, statistical databases, and historical records.
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Fields
The term is widely used in fields such as history, legal research Legal research is "the process of identifying and retrieving information necessary to support legal decision-making. In its broadest sense, legal research includes each step of a course of action that begins with an analysis of the facts of a prob ...
, and market research
Market research is an organized effort to gather information about target markets and customers: know about them, starting with who they are. It is an important component of business strategy and a major factor in maintaining competitiveness. Mar ...
. The principal methodology in health secondary research is the systematic review, commonly using meta-analytic statistical techniques. Other methods of synthesis, like realist reviews and meta-narrative
A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether nonfictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travelogue, etc.) or fictional ( fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller, novel, etc. ...
reviews, have been developed in the 21st century.
Secondary market research includes the reuse by a second party of any data collected from a first party such as telephone interviews or surveys. Secondary market research can be broken up into two categories: information from internal sources such as an agency or company, and information from external sources held outside an organization or agency. Secondary market research uses information from the past, reuses data already collected, and is more economical.
Primary research vs secondary research
Primary research
Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness t ...
is research that is collected firsthand and is original to the person using it.[McCrocklin, S. (2018, October 4). Primary vs. Secondary Research. Retrieved from https://www.geopoll.com/blog/primary-vs-secondary-research/] If possible, secondary research should be done before primary research, to determine what information is not already available.
Secondary research is based on already published data and information gathered from other conducted studies.[Treadwell, D. F. (2016). Introducing communication research: paths of inquiry. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Secondary Research
Evidence-based practices
Systematic review
Market research
Scientific method
Research methods