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Types of Data

The document discusses different types of data including primary data, secondary data, quantitative data, and qualitative data. Primary data is collected directly from sources for a specific research problem, while secondary data was previously collected by others. Primary data is more accurate but also more expensive and time-consuming to collect. Quantitative data can be counted and measured with numbers, while qualitative data is descriptive and expressed through words rather than numbers. The key differences are that quantitative data tells you amounts and frequencies while qualitative data provides understanding and descriptions, quantitative data is objective while qualitative data is subjective, and quantitative data is analyzed statistically while qualitative data is analyzed by identifying themes.

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DrPreeti Jindal
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79 views

Types of Data

The document discusses different types of data including primary data, secondary data, quantitative data, and qualitative data. Primary data is collected directly from sources for a specific research problem, while secondary data was previously collected by others. Primary data is more accurate but also more expensive and time-consuming to collect. Quantitative data can be counted and measured with numbers, while qualitative data is descriptive and expressed through words rather than numbers. The key differences are that quantitative data tells you amounts and frequencies while qualitative data provides understanding and descriptions, quantitative data is objective while qualitative data is subjective, and quantitative data is analyzed statistically while qualitative data is analyzed by identifying themes.

Uploaded by

DrPreeti Jindal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Types of Data

Primary data
• Primary data is the kind of data that is
collected directly from the data source
without going through any existing sources
• Primary data is often reliable, authentic, and
objective in as much as it was collected with
the purpose of addressing a particular
research problem.
Sources of Primary Data
• The data is mostly collected through
observations, physical testing, mailed
questionnaires, surveys, personal interviews,
telephonic interviews, case studies, and focus
groups, etc.
Pros of Primary data
• Primary data is specific to the needs of the researcher at the moment
of data collection. The researcher is able to control the kind of data that
is being collected.
• It is accurate compared to secondary data. The data is not subjected to
personal bias and as such the authenticity can be trusted.
• The researcher exhibit ownership of the data collected through 
primary research. He or she may choose to make it available publicly,
patent it, or even sell it.
• Primary data is usually up to date because it collects data in real-time
and does not collect data from old sources. 
• The researcher has full control over the data collected through 
primary research. He can decide which design, method, and data
analysis techniques to be used.
Cons of Primary Data
• Primary data is very expensive compared to
secondary data. Therefore, it might be difficult
to collect primary data.
• It is time-consuming.
• It may not be feasible to collect primary data
in some cases due to its complexity and
required commitment.
Secondary data
• Secondary data is a second-hand data that is
already collected and recorded by some
researchers for their purpose, and not for the
current research problem.
Sources of Secondary Data
• Government publications, censuses, internal
records of the organisation, books, journal
articles, websites and reports, etc.
Pros of Secondary Data
• Secondary data is easily accessible compared to primary data.
Secondary data is available on different platforms that can be
accessed by the researcher.
• Secondary data is very affordable. It requires little to no cost to
acquire them because they are sometimes given out for free.
• The time spent on collecting secondary data is usually very
little compared to that of primary data. 
• Secondary data makes it possible to carry out longitudinal
studies without having to wait for a long time to draw
conclusions. 
• It helps to generate new insights into existing primary data.
Cons of Secondary Data
• Secondary data may not be authentic and
reliable. A researcher may need to further
verify the data collected from the available
sources.
• Researchers may have to deal with irrelevant
data before finally finding the required data.
• Secondary data sources are sometimes
outdated with no new data to replace the old
ones. 
Difference between primary data and
secondary data
• Accuracy and Reliability.
• Secondary data is less accurate and trustworthy
than primary data.
• Cost-effectiveness
• Primary data is costly, but secondary data is less so.
• Collection Time
• Primary data collection takes a considerable time,
but secondary data collection takes a short amount
of time.
Quantitative data
• Quantitative data refers to any information that can
be quantified. If it can be counted or measured, and
given a numerical value, it’s quantitative data.
Quantitative data can tell you “how many,” “how
much,” or “how often”—for example, how many
people attended last week’s webinar? How much
revenue did the company make in 2019? How often
does a certain customer group use online banking?
• To analyze and make sense of quantitative data,
you’ll conduct statistical analyses.
Qualitative data
• Unlike quantitative data, qualitative data
cannot be measured or counted. It’s
descriptive, expressed in terms of language
rather than numerical values.
• Qualitative data also refers to the words or
labels used to describe certain characteristics
or traits—for example, describing the sky as
blue or labeling a particular ice cream flavor as
vanilla.
• The main differences between quantitative and qualitative data lie in what they tell us, how they are
collected, and how they are analyzed. Let’s summarize the key differences before exploring each
aspect in more detail:
• Quantitative data is countable or measurable, relating to numbers. Qualitative data is descriptive,
relating to language.
• Quantitative data tells us how many, how much, or how often (e.g. “20 people signed up to our email
newsletter last week”). Qualitative data can help us to understand the “why” or “how” behind certain
behaviors, or it can simply describe a certain attribute—for example, “The postbox is red” or “I signed
up to the email newsletter because I’m really interested in hearing about local events.”
• Quantitative data is fixed and “universal,” while qualitative data is subjective and dynamic. For example,
if something weighs 20 kilograms, that can be considered an objective fact. However, two people may
have very different qualitative accounts of how they experience a particular event.
• Quantitative data is gathered by measuring and counting. Qualitative data is collected by interviewing
and observing.
• Quantitative data is analyzed using statistical analysis, while qualitative data is analyzed by grouping it
in terms of meaningful categories or themes.

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