Secondary research
Secondary research (also Secondary market research, secondary survey, Eng. Desk research ) is a method of market research and uses for obtaining market information as opposed to primary research on already existing information. Secondary research is the acquisition, processing and interpretation of already existing data. Advantages of secondary research are typically quick and cost-effective information acquisition, minimizing expenditure (especially for alternatively own extensive surveys and evaluations, eg concerning statistics on population movements or data of the national accounts ) and relief in the interpretation and evaluation of primary data. Problems of secondary research are seen particularly in the rapid obsolescence of the data in the account any collection and evaluation of defects and the lack of compatibility problem. The secondary research uses company- internal and company- external information sources. In-house information sources are, for example, in the form of sales or sales statistics ( eg staff / order, product, product group, product family, customers sorted by customer size classes, sales areas, regions, countries ), cost accounting (eg cost types, cost centers, profit margins for products, product groups ) and Others statistics on inquiries and quotations, orders, complaints available. Corporate External sources of information are, eg, statistical yearbooks, national and international databases, association statistics, annual reports, books and magazines.
Possible sources of information
Possible sources of secondary research are all published information.
These include:
- Government institutions (eg Federal Statistical Office, OECD)
- Sites of companies
- Interest groups
- Consulting firms
- Articles in magazines (especially the business press )
- E -zines
In-house databases in which relevant data are collected to facilitate secondary research. Since information already found for other issues may also be relevant, reduces the collection effort and the time required.
Occasions
The secondary research is particularly suitable for
- Detection of a primary research needs
- Expansion of the horizon problem and
- Formation or strengthening of hypotheses.
Method
Depending on the quality of the data (eg data series from the statistical material or texts) are different methods of application, such as:
- Content analysis
- Mind Maps
- A method of multivariate data analysis.
Of particular importance is the research protocol, which contains the author and all the necessary information to reproduce the findings in addition to the locality.
Benefits
The main advantage of the secondary research is primarily to minimize the cost and time expenditure. The results of secondary research can also support the primary research and provide a quick insight into the study areas.
Disadvantages
The results of secondary research are usually not exclusive, but are also other market researchers. Related to this is the fact that they are partly not very meaningful because the data to answer specific questions were raised. In addition, the "raw data" of the survey are not available, but only the results. The data of the secondary research can also be outdated.
- Market research