Collecting Secondary Data

Secondary data is data that already exists. It is advisable to systematically begin a research project by asking whether any appropriate secondary data is available. Use of such data presents numerous advantages. It is generally inex­pensive, it has already been assembled, and it does not necessarily require access to the people who supplied it. It has historical value and is useful for establishing comparisons and evaluating primary data. However, secondary data can be difficult to obtain, or obsolete, and can vary in the degree to which it is approximate or exhaustive. Moreover, it is possible that the data format does not fully correspond with that used by the researcher, in which case it has to be changed from its original form into a format better suited to present needs. Researchers, therefore, have to understand exactly why the data was originally put together before they can decide to use it or not.

1. Internal Secondary Data

Internal secondary data is information that has already been produced by organi­zations or private individuals. The data was not collected to respond to the specific needs of the researcher, but constitutes a veritable data-source for those consulting it. Archives, notes, reports, documents, rules and written proce­dures, instructions and press cuttings are just some of the types of internal data the researcher can use.

There are several advantages with such data. First, analyzing it enables one to reconstitute past actions that have had an influence on events and decisions and involved individuals. The use of internal data, indispensable within the framework of an historical and longitudinal procedure (monogra- phy, process analysis over a lengthy period), generates information that actors do not discuss spontaneously during face to face interviews. It is, therefore, normal for researchers to begin by gathering documentation and informing themselves about their subject by collecting such data. Finally, it is often necessary to analyze internal data in order to triangulate the data and validate its reliability.

However, analyzing archives and internal documents can pose problems. First, documentary sources can be difficult to use on their own. In terms of con­tent, such data cannot always be easily validated, and one must, therefore, identify any possible bias on the part of those who compiled it or authorized its compilation. We saw in Section 2 of this chapter that contamination of pri­mary data can spread to secondary data. We also underlined the bias that exists when one is not aware of a system of double archives. As researchers do not always have sufficient information to discover the context in which particular documents were drawn up, they must interpret them subjectively, and give thought to any possible validation problems that might arise when using this kind of source.

To collect such data, the researcher needs to be in contact with people on the site being studied. With semi-private data, access can be relatively easy. This is the case, for example, with reports of the activities of firms quoted on the stock exchange, and with university research or public studies. It is also possible to consult certain archives belonging to chambers of commerce, trade unions and political organizations and, more generally, all the administrative bodies that are responsible for keeping public or semi-public statistics. However, such docu­ments are not always very accessible for reasons of confidentiality or poor dis­tribution. Access to internal secondary data is, therefore, neither automatic nor easy to obtain.

How to process the information depends on the type of data collected. When data is presented purely in the form of documents, researchers generally analyze their content. When it is in numerical form, they would be more likely to conduct statistical or accounting analyses.

In summary, the main advantage of collecting internal data is the low cost of accessing the information, but one should take great care when pro­cessing it.

2. External Secondary Data

To collect external secondary data, it is worthwhile going to libraries and other documentation centers with a large stock of periodicals and other works deal­ing with the research field one has in mind. Access to theses and studies that have already been published or are in progress is indispensable to the spread of knowledge and evolution of research. Two important steps are to identify and to read works by researchers working on the same question. When one is starting a research project, these steps enable better targeting and justification of the subject. During the course of the research, they enable the researcher to remain permanently in touch with the evolution of the subject and any changes in the views of other researchers. Governmental publications (such as official documents or ministerial studies), publications produced by public and/or international organizations and private publications are all important sources of external data. Finally, press cuttings and private directories (Kompass, Who Owns Who …) are easy to access in order to build up files on the organizations being studied. To sum up, many findings are the fruit of chance discoveries on library shelves, chatroom discussions over the Internet, or the consultation of web sites related to the subject.

Source: Thietart Raymond-Alain et al. (2001), Doing Management Research: A Comprehensive Guide, SAGE Publications Ltd; 1 edition.