Primary Research

Primary research includes an exhaustive analysis of data to answer research questions that are specific and exploratory in nature.

Primary research methods with examples include the use of various primary research tools such as interviews, research surveys, numerical data, observations, audio, video, and images to collect data directly rather than using existing literature.

Business organisations throughout the world have their employees or an external research agency conduct primary research on their behalf to address certain issues. On the other hand, undergraduate and postgraduate students conduct primary research as part of their dissertation project to fill an obvious research gap in their respective fields of study.

As indicated above, primary data can be collected in a number of ways, and so we have also conducted in-depth research on the most common yet independent primary data collection techniques.

Sampling in Primary Research

When conducting primary research, it is vitally important to pay attention to the chosen sampling method which can be described as “a specific principle used to select members of the population to participate in the research”.

Often times, the researcher might not be able to directly work with the targeted population because of its large size, and so it becomes indispensable to employ statistical sampling techniques where the researchers have no choice but to draw conclusions based on responses collected from the representative population.

The process of sampling in primary data collection includes the following five steps;

Identifying the target population.

Selecting an appropriate sampling frame.

Determining the sampling size.

Choosing a sampling method.

Practical application of the selected sampling technique.

Based on the above discussion, it can be concluded that primary research is the most appropriate choice for any research that cannot rely on past and already published researches.

When conducting primary research, not only the researcher is able to gather responses, but nonverbal communication and gestures play a huge role. They help the researcher identify the various hidden elements which cannot be identified when conducting the secondary research.

How to use Social Media Networks for Dissertation Research

Reasons Why You Should Use Primary Research

As stated previously, the most prominent advantage of primary research over secondary research is that the researcher is able to directly collect the data from the respondents which makes the data more authentic and reliable. Primary research has room for customisation based on the personal requirements and/or limitations of the researcher. Primary research allows for a comprehensive analysis of the subject matter to address a problem in hand. The researcher will have the luxury to decide how to collect and use the data, which means that they will be able to make use of the data in whatever way deemed fit to them to gain meaningful insights. The results obtained from primary research are recognised as credible throughout academic and scientific communities.



Reasons Why You Should Not Use Primary Research

If you are considering primary research for your dissertation, you need to be aware of the high costs involved in the process of gathering primary data. Undergraduate and Masters’ students often do not have the financial resources to fund their own research work. Ph.D. students, on the other hand, are awarded a very limited research budget to work with. Thus, if you are on a low or limited budget, conducting primary research might not be the most suitable option. Primary research can be extremely time-consuming. Getting your target population to participate in online surveys and face to face or telephonic interviews requires patience and a lot of time. This is especially important for undergraduate and Masters’ students who are required to complete and submit their work within a certain timeframe. Primary research is well recognised only when it makes use of several methods of data collection. Having just one primary research method will undermine your research. Using more than one method of data collection will mean that you need more time and financial resources. There might be participants who wouldn’t be willing to disclose their information, thus this aspect is crucial and should be looked into carefully.



One important aspect of primary research that researchers should look into is research ethics. Keeping participants’ information confidential is a research responsibility that should never be overlooked.

How to Approach a Company for your Primary Study