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Unit-10: Types of Data and Their Sources

smt. p.V. yang wrote “Primary data means those information and figures that are collected for the notes
first time and the responsibility of which is of the researcher or explorer. Here it is clear that the
collections of primary data is by the researcher himself or make it done from his associates under his
supervision. These types of materials or data are obtained on the basis of field work.
Because of the following qualities, Primary data are also known as first-hand Data, Field Data and
Basic Data. these types of data are collected by the researcher himself or with the help of his associates
either by minutely observing the incident or by talking to persons related to research subject, by
interviewing, or with the help of schedule or questionnaire sent by post. since Primary data are
collected by the researcher for the first time therefore they are called as Primary Data. Primary data
are new and reliable. reason for these data to be more reliable is that since the researcher collects
them by his own in a controlled way keeping in mind the necessity of reliability of his hypothesis
and aim of research .if any researcher wants to study the village-leadership then he has to know some
village particulars or some village leaders. After that he has to investigate the different activities of
those leaders. researcher has to collect a lot of information by making contacts with them. He has
to investigate what work those leaders have done for public welfare. they come under which age-
group, what is their educational qualification, what are the resources of their livelihood, what is their
financial status? All these news, information and data are collected by the researcher himself or with
the help of his associates. All these collected data are known as Primary Data.

2. secondary Data

All those information, figures , and data which researcher do not collect himself for his research but
which are already available in the published or unpublished form are known as secondary Data .
these include letters, diaries, autobiography, scripts, government reports, census reports, gadgets,
documents and records. this means secondary data are available already which any researcher uses
according to his research need. Any researcher or institute had already collected these types of data.
According to P.V.Yang “ Secondary data are those which are used after receiving from fundamental
sources and whose broadcasting officer is different from the person who firstly controlled the data
collection . “ it is clear that secondary data are those whose collection is not done by the researcher and
his associates but who uses the material collected by some other person or institute, for his research.
The user of these data is not related to its field collection. In other words whenever any researcher
uses the data collected by, other researcher, institute or any government or non–government institute
for his own research then those data are the secondary data for him. Here it is better to explain it
with the help of an example, if any researcher chooses some data from the material published in the
form of 2001 census report and uses for his own research then those data are called as secondary
data for him. secondary data are used in any research when the form of subject is such that it is not
necessary to collect all data from the new end and facts related to that subject are already available.
sometimes researcher has to use secondary data due to his limited resources. for using secondary
data it is necessary for researcher to be work efficient and understanding. These material are quiet
well-diversified. Therefore, researcher has to collect only useful material from this material.

Difference between primary and secondary Data

indeed primary and secondary data are relative. in any research which data is primary and which is
secondary, is related to the purpose of research. Data which is primary for one researcher is called as
secondary data when used in research by another researcher.
Primary data are believed to be more original in comparison to secondary data, as collection of these
is based on the need of research by the researcher himself. This originality is relatively deficient in
secondary data.

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