Secondary Data

What is Secondary Data?

• Data gathered and recorded
previously for purposes other than
the current project.
– Usually historical and already
assembled
– Require no access to respondents
or subjects
 A Comparison of Primary and Secondary Data
__________________________________________________________________________
PRIMARY DATA SECONDARY DATA
________________________________________________________________
Collection purpose For the problem at hand For other problems

Collection process Very involved Rapid and easy

Collection cost High Relatively low

Collection time Long Short

______________________________________________________________________
 Advantages
• Time savings
• Relevance
• Availability
• Obtainable in a short period of time
• Low cost
• Accessibility
• Complements primary data
 Disadvantages
• May be inaccurate
• May be inconsistent
• Inconvenient to compare
• May be inaccessible
• Outdated information
• Collected for a purpose other than the
purpose at hand
• Variations in definitions of terms
• Different units of measurement
 Is the Secondary Data appropriate
for your study?
• Is the subject matter consistent with your
problem definition?
• Do the data apply to the population of interest?
• Do the data apply to the time period of interest?
• Do the data appear in the correct units of
measurement?
• Do the data cover the subject of interest in
adequate detail?
 Additional Questions to Ask
• Who collected the data?
• For whom was the data collected?
• What was the purpose of the research?
• When was the data collected?
• How was the data collected?
• How was the data analyzed?
• How does the data compare with similar
information from different sources?
Common Secondary Data Study
Objectives
• Fact-finding
– Identifying consumption patterns
– Tracking trends
• Model building
– Estimating market potential
– Forecasting sales
– Selecting trade areas and sites
• Database marketing
– Enhancing customer databases
– Developing prospect lists
 Index of Retail Saturation
• Calculation that describes the
relationship between retail
demand and supply
• Calculation
– Local market potential (demand)
divided by
– Square feet of retailing space
Example Using the Index of Retail
Saturation
• Assume
– Population = 261,785
– Annual per capita shoe sales = $54.43
– Local market potential = $14,249,000
– Square feet of retail space used to sell shoes = 94,000 sq.
ft.
– Index of retail saturation = 152
• Compare to other areas to determine which sites have
the greatest potential with the least amount of retail
competition.
• Index values above 200 are considered to indicate
exceptional opportunities.
 Plagiarism

• Using someone’s work

without giving credit or
without obtaining
permission, where
necessary
 Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism
• NEVER use someone else’s research and fail to cite
the individual(s).
• Do not copy information from a source text without
proper acknowledgement
• Always use quotation marks when reproducing material
from a source text, and use proper documentation
• Do not paraphrase material from a source text without
appropriate documentation
• Always cite the research service when purchasing
completed research from the service

Adapted from Strong, William S. (1993), The Copyright Book: A Practical

Guide, (London: MIT Press), 1.
 Getting Copyright Permission
• Determine if permission is needed
– Is the material protected under law?
– Would your use of the material violate the law?
• Identify the owner
• Identify the rights you need
• Plan ahead for permissions
• Negotiate whether payment is required
• Get it in writing

Source: Stim, Richard (2000), Getting Permission: How to License &

Clear Copyrighted Materials Online & Off, (Berkley, CA: Nolo
Press), 1-6.
 A Classification of Secondary Data

Secondary
Data

Internal External

Ready to Syndicated
Requires Published Services
Use
Further Materials
Processing Computerized
Databases
 Sources of Secondary Data
• Internal Sources
– Accounting records
– Marketing records
– Production personnel
– Information systems personnel
– Sales force
– Other expert employees
 Sources of Secondary Data
• External Sources
– Government agencies
– Libraries
– The Internet
– Vendors
– Producers
– Books & Periodicals
– Media Sources
– Trade Associations
– Commercial Sources
 A Classification of Published Secondary Sources

Published Secondary
Data

General Government
Business
Sources Sources

Statistical
Guides Data Census Data
Directories
Other
Government
Indexes Publications
 A Classification of Computerized Databases

Computerized
Databases

Online Internet Offline

Special
Bibliographic Purpose
Databases Databases

Numeric Full- Text Directory

Databases Databases Databases
National Trade Data Bank (NTDB)
• Established by the Omnibus Trade and
Competitiveness Act of 1988
• Purpose was to provide reasonable public
access, including electronic access, to an
export promotion data system that was
centralized, inexpensive, and easy to use
• Over 1,000 libraries offer access to the
NTDB through the Federal Depository
Library system.
Examples of Information Contained
in the NTDB
• Agricultural commodity
production & trade
• Basic export information
• Calendars of trade fairs
• Capital markets & export
financing
• Exchange rates
• Export licensing info
• International trade terms
directory
• Maritime & shipping
information
• Market research reports
• Overseas contacts
• Price indexes
• Overseas & domestic
industry information
• Small business info
• State exports
• State trade contacts
Syndicated Sources of
Secondary Data
 Syndicated Sources (Services)
• Firms that collect and sell common pools
of data designed to serve information
needs shared by a number of clients,
including competing firms in the same
industry.
 A Classification of Syndicated Services

Unit of Measurement

Households/
Consumers Institutions
 A Classification of Syndicated Services: Household/Consumers
Electronic
Household Consumers Scanner
Services
Mail Diary
Panels
Surveys
Volume
Tracking
Purchase Data
Psychographic
& Lifestyles Scanner
Diary
Media Panels
Advertising
Evaluation Scanner Diary
Panels
General w/ Cable TV
 Classification of Syndicated Survey Research

Surveys by Syndicated Firms

Periodic Panel Shared

Psychographic Advertising
General
and Lifestyles Evaluation
 Surveys
• Periodic Surveys
– Collect data on the same set of variables at
regular intervals, each time sampling from a
new group of respondents.
• Panel Surveys
– Measure the same group of respondents over
time but not necessarily on the same
variables.
• Shared Surveys
– Developed and executed for multiple clients,
each of whom shares the expense.
 Surveys
• Psychographic Surveys
– Quantified psychological profiles of individuals
and psychologically based measures of
lifestyles, such as brand loyalty and risk taking.
• Lifestyle Surveys
– Data that describes individuals’ distinctive
pattern of living
• Described by the activities people engage in
• The interests they have
• The opinions they hold of themselves
• The opinions they hold of the world around them
 Surveys
• Advertising Evaluation Surveys
– Measure the size and profile of the advertising
audience, and
– Assess the effectiveness of advertising using
print and broadcast media
• General Surveys
– Conducted for a variety of other purposes (I.e.,
examination of purchase and consumption
behavior)
 Consumer Diary Panels
• Made up of a group of individuals and
households that record their purchases and
behavior in a diary over time.
• Frequent attempts are made to maintain the
representativeness of the panel in relation to
the U.S. population (on the basis of
demographics)
 Consumer Diary Panels
• Diary Purchase Panels
– Data-gathering technique in which respondents
record their purchases in a diary.
• Diary Media Panels
– Data-gathering technique composed of samples
of respondents whose television viewing
behavior is automatically recorded by electronic
devices
– Supplemented by the purchase information
recorded in a diary
 Electronic Scanner Services
• Scanner Data
– Data obtained by passing merchandise over a
laser scanner that reads the UPC (Universal
Product Code) from the packages.
– Volume-tracking Data
• Scanner data that provides information on purchases
by brand, size, price, and flavor or formulation
– Scanner Diary Panels
• Panel members issued an ID card allowing panel
members’ purchases to be linked to their identity
– Scanner Diary Panels with Cable TV
• Combination of scanner diary panels with
manipulations of the advertising that is being
broadcast by cable television companies.
 Classification of Syndicated Services : Institutions

Institutions

Industrial
Retailers Wholesalers
Firms

Direct Clipping Corporate

Audits Inquiries Services Reports
Syndicated Data from Institutions
• Retailer and Wholesaler Audits
– Collect of product movement data for wholesalers
& retailers
– Periodic audits may be
• A physical count of inventory, or
• May be managed through a link to the scanning process
– Track inventory flow, current inventory levels, and
the impact of both promotional & pricing programs
on inventory levels
• Industrial Research Services
– Secondary data derived from industrial sources &
intended for industrial use