research methodology

1. Primary andPrimary and
Secondary DataSecondary Data

2. Primary and Secondary Data
• Define secondary and primary data
• Describe primary data collection
methods
• Describe sampling techniques
• Identify advantages disadvantages of
different data gathering techniques
• Construct a survey

3. Secondary Data
• Data gathered by another source (e.g.
research study, survey, interview)
• Secondary data is gathered BEFORE primary
data. WHY?
• Because you want to find out what is already
known about a subject before you dive into
your own investigation. WHY?
• Because some of your questions can possibly
have been already answered by other
investigators or authors. Why “reinvent the
wheel”?

4. Primary Data
• Data never gathered before
• Advantage: find data you need to suit
your purpose
• Disadvantage: usually more costly and
time consuming than collecting
secondary data
• Collected after secondary data is
collected

5. Primary Research Methods
• Focus Groups – bring together respondents
with common characteristics
• Observation - actually view respondents
• Experiment - controlled variables and
respondent groups.
• Non-personal survey – on site, telephone,
mail, fax, computer, panel
• Personal interview - one-on-one survey with
respondents
• Company records – internal document survey
research

6. Constructing the Questionnaire
Select the correct types of questions:
• open ended – harder to score but get
“richer” information
• closed ended, dichotomous – offer
two either/or responses (true/false; yes/no;
for/against
• multiple choice – select one or more
than one
• scaled response – gather range of
“values” (strongly disagree, somewhat
disagree, neutral, somewhat agree, strongly
agree

7. 1. Have you had any of the following
medical preventive tests/exams?
_____ Cholestrol
_____ Blood Sugar
_____ lung x-ray
_____ electrocardiogram
_____ stress test

8. 2. Do you currently smoke?
_____ YES
_____ NO

9. 3. Please evaluate the following statement:
I understand the University’s code of
conduct as it relates to plagiarism.
____absolutely agree
____somewhat agree
____neutral
____somewhat disagree
____absolutely disagree

10. Important characteristics of
good questionnaires
• Plan a user-friendly format
• Gather demographic data – age, gender, etc.,
when necessary.
• Guarantee anonymity
• Ensure ease of tabulation – Scantron forms
• Ask well-phrased and unambiguous
questions that can be answered
• Develop for completeness – get all the data
• Pilot test the instrument

11. Introductory Statement
The purpose of this survey is to help management identify family
issues that our employees experience that are related to job
performance. Please respond to the following survey items by
checking the appropriate response next to each question/item. Your
responses are completely anonymous and will only be used to assess
overall employee characteristics.
ensure anonymity
purpose of the survey

12. END