Primary Research – new research; complete new field research

To remember what primary research means use the following mnemonic:

This information was in prime condition and gave extraordinary (primary research) information because it was all brand new research.

Primary meaning prime condition and NEW information

Secondary meaning second hand and OLD information

Primary research is brand new research, and so as alluded to in the mnemonic will figuratively be in “prime” condition. Primary research is about researching and collecting new data that a business undertakes itself or hires someone else to do it for them. The ultimate goal of any primary market research is to gain a relevant insight into their target market that could not otherwise be gleaned from existing data (secondary market research). This could be quantitative or qualitative research. Primary research is often conducted if secondary research is not available, this is because primary research is more expensive and time consuming to conduct.