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Business Research Methods: Secondary Data Research in A Digital Age
Business Research Methods: Secondary Data Research in A Digital Age
Research Methods
William G. Zikmund
Chapter 8:
Secondary Data
Research in a Digital Age
Secondary Data
Data gathered and recorded by someone else
prior to and for a purpose other than the
current project
Is often:
• Historical
• Already assembled
• Needs no access to subjects
Advantages of Secondary Data
• Inexpensive
• Obtained Rapidly
• Information is not Otherwise Accessible
Government Data Is Often Free
If possible, go to the
original source of the
Accuracy data?
of the data
Is the cost of data
acquisition worth it?
• Accounting information
• Sales information
• Backorders
• Customer complaints
Data Mining
Traditional Distribution
Indirect Channel Using Intermediary
Information Producer
(Federal Government)
Library
(Storage of
government
documents
and books)
Company User
Traditional
Distribution
Direct Channel
Information Producer
(Federal Government)
Company User
Direct, Computerized Distribution Using Intermediary
Information producer’s
(Just-in-time inventory partner)
computerized database
Company user
Modern Distribution of Secondary Data
Vendor/external
distributor
(Computerized database
integrating all three data
sources for any
geographic area)
Information producer A
(Federal government-
census data)
External Data
• Created, recorded, or generated by an entity
other than the researcher’s organization
• Government
• Trade associations
• Newspapers and journals
External Data
• Libraries
• The Internet
• Vendors
• Producers
• Books and periodicals
External Data
• Government sources
• Media sources
• Commercial sources
Government Sources
U.S. Population by Race and Hispanic Origin, July 1, 1997
(in thousands)