Primary vs. Secondary Research

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Primary vs . Secondary Research

Internet marketing is not very different from the normal physical markets when it comes to trends and data collection processes . Although the practical procedures may differ between the two , the principles are principally the same . The same case applies to market research . It is important to get all the pertinent information regarding the business field that one intends to venture into . This will help in preparing for any shifts in market trends , both anticipated and unanticipated (AllBusiness . com . A

good study of the market is thus important and there are two main ways in which research can be conducted in order to obtain the most accurate and reliable market information . This paper looks at the two main research approaches which are namely primary and secondary research and also weighs the implications of each type

Primary research involves the collection of firsthand and original data that may constitute the preferences , opinions , attitudes and buying habits of prospective customers (Bradley 118 . This can be carried out through such activities as interviews , questionnaires , and general observation of the market trends . There are two main categories of data that may be obtained through this approach , namely quantitative and qualitative . Quantitative research refers to the activities aimed at obtaining discrete physical data such as the number of items purchased in a given period or by a given geographical population which can be done through various statistical techniques (Bradley 276 . Qualitative data collection on the other hand...