Primary quantitative data is gathered using close ended survey questions and rigid one-on-one interviews. If you asked someone why they went to the gym, their answer can be interpreted in different ways depending on who’s analyzing it. For example, if you ask someone how many times they’ve gone to the gym this week, there’s a simple numerical answer. Quantitative data is easier to handle and measure because it’s not open to different interpretations. Just like with qualitative data, the information derived here can be used to make decisions in a personal or business setting. This data is necessary for calculations and further statistical analysis. Quantitative data is information gathered in numerical form and, as a result, can be easily ordered and ranked. and can be used to answer the question “why?” Secondary data can be gathered from firsthand accounts such as a journal. This kind of primary data is gathered using interviews, open-ended survey questions, etc. It can be recorded and measured but cannot be quantified using numbers.įor example, you can record that someone is unhappy and measure the level of unhappiness using descriptive words but it can’t be quantified. It’s used to understand and characterize a problem, sentiment, or an individual/group. Qualitative data is information that’s descriptive in nature.
The data is high quality but may not be as useful to your specific situation even if you serve marketers.īoth primary and secondary data can be broken down into subcategories referred to as qualitative and quantitative data. For example, HubSpot does a survey of marketers every year and publishes its findings in a report called The State of Inbound. This type of data is much easier to collect and use but it may not be as applicable to your situation. can be considered primary data that, when used by you, are secondary data. Things like research papers, books, other websites, etc. Secondary data refers to information you use which has been collected, analyzed, and structured by another person or group. That’s because the data is unstructured and needs to be arranged in a way that allows you to make meaningful decisions. Primary data is usually collected with a specific goal in mind but can be more challenging for the researcher to interpret. Put another way, you’re the first person or group to interact with and draw conclusions from the data. That could be in-person interviews, surveys sent out to your audience, or even courses. It’s data that’s gotten directly from the source. Primary data, also known as raw data, is the data you collect yourself and are the first person to interpret. There are two major types of data that can be further broken down into subcategories. The type of data you collect determines how much you can trust it and the versatility. That’s in part due to a clear delineation between the types of data that can be collected. In a business setting, the data collection process and methods are more formal and tend to yield better outcomes as a result. When assessing a new job offer, you collect data about the company’s growth, salary scale, etc.
For example, if you want to move to a new city, you collect as much data as you can. In every aspect of our lives, we go through the process of data collection. As you can tell from the definition, it’s not a process that’s only for business.