Differences Between Primary Data vs Secondary Data
-Submitted by Arvind Kartik

SOURCES OF PRIMARY DATA Regardless of any difficulty one can face in collecting primary data; it is the most authentic and reliable data source. Following are some of the sources of primary data.
Experiments
Experiments require an artificial or natural setting in which to perform logical study to collect data. Experiments are more suitable for medicine, psychological studies, nutrition and for other scientific studies. In experiments the experimenter has to keep control over the influence of any extraneous variable on the results.
Survey
Survey is most commonly used method in social sciences, management, marketing and psychology to some extent. Surveys can be conducted in different methods.
Questionnaire:
It is the most commonly used method in survey. Questionnaires are a list of questions either an open-ended or close -ended for which the respondent give answers. Questionnaire can be conducted via telephone, mail, live in a public area, or in an institute, through electronic mail or through fax and other methods.
Interview :
It is a face-to-face conversation with the respondent. It is slow, expensive, and they take people away from their regular jobs, but they allow in-depth questioning and follow-up questions.
The interviewer can not only record the statements the interviewee speaks but he can observe the body language or non-verbal communication such as face-pulling, fidgeting, shrugging, hand gestures, sarcastic expressions that add further meaning to spoken words and other reactions to the questions too.
Observations
It can be done while letting the observing person know that he is being observed or without letting him know. Observations can also be made in natural settings as well as in artificially created environment.

SOURCES OF SECONDARY DATA