Page 118 - DMGT209_QUANTITATIVE_TECHNIQUES_II

Unit 7: Sources and Methods of Data Collection

Secondary Data – Internal Notes

Internal records or published records are often capable of giving remarkably useful information.
Sometimes, the information may be sufficient enough to give the desired result. However, this
preliminary information shall most of the time help in developing the overall research strategy
and hence must be undertaken before any further research is contemplated.
For a manufacturing industry, for example, the internal production and sales records, if designed
and maintained properly, can help in a big way even for formulating the companies strategies.

Secondary Data – External

External sources of data include statistics and reports issued by governments, trade associations
and other reputable organizations such as advertising agencies and research companies and
trade directories.

Did u know? What are the sources of secondary data in India?
In India, some of the major sources of secondary data are:
Indian Council of Agriculture, Central Statistical Organization, Army Statistical
Organizations, National Accounts Statistics, Bulletin on Food Statistics, Handbook of
Statistics on Small Scale Industries, RBI Bulletin, Annual survey of industries, Indian Labour
Year Book, etc.

Task List some major secondary sources of information for the following:
1. Market research manager of a tea manufacturing company has to prepare a
comprehensive report on the tea industry as a whole.
2. M.T.R has several product ideas on ready-to-eat products. It wishes to convert ideas
into products and enter the market. Before entering, the company needs to find
necessary information to assess the market potential.
3. An MNC wishes to open a showroom in a Metro. The first step that the company
would like to take is to collect the information about suitability.

4. Number of residential houses less than 10 years old in a given locality.
5. Number of consultancy/recruitment firms in a city.
6. Percentage of families with children less than 15 years in a given locality.
7. Citizens who have electoral I.D cards in a local city.
8. Annual sales figures of a multi-retail outlet.

Self Assessment
Fill in the blanks:
1. ..................... is also the first hand data collected by the researcher for the immediate purpose
of the study.
2. ……………can be at stake if the researcher invests personal biases or uses misleading
information in the research.

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