What is Secondary Research?
Research can be placed into three categories: Primary, Secondary, and
Tertiary.
| Primary research is also called empirical research. Empirical research is done first-hand in a lab or field setting by the researcher to test a theory. |
| Secondary research involves researching what other researchers in the same area have done. Secondary research often leads to primary research. Published articles often lead to further questions and further testing. |
| Tertiary research is really the same as secondary research since scholarly works always cite previously published articles which site previously published articles. So terciary research involves work that others have done regarding primary research -- three times removed from the original research. |
Rarely does one do only primary or secondary research alone. When researching, an author will mix all three forms in a research paper -- the paper is not "research" per se, but a narrative of the process of research. A research paper is a product of research, an outcome that involves not just what you have done or accomplished, but an integrated approach that functionalizes your findings with the research and past accomplishments of the scientific community related to your discipline.
Secondary Research
Example: In a research on pollution: How could secondary research enhance the output? Lets consider what secondary research could help us to determine:
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Has anyone done research on this area or on this topic before? |
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What methods did they use? |
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What were their findings? |
Now we can learn from the problems other researchers have had and the successes they have experienced. We also have a base for comparative research, and we may be able to determine many relationships.
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Are people’s attitudes changing? If so, how? |
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Are things getting better or worse? |
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Are changes or trends proportional to other factors such as population levels? |
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Using comparative statistics, can you forecast future trends? (e.g. population in an area doubling every X years, pollution rated doubling in the last Y years, tolerance of certain fish to carcinogens, forecasting a biologically sterile environment in Z years). |
How about other studies in the local community or similar environmental areas?
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Are other areas suffering the same stress? |
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How are they coping with it? |
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Are the measures they are using effective? |
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Would they be feasible here? |
How about studies in other countries?
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What tests or instruments are they using? |
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Could those methods be used to advantage here in our study? |
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What solutions have they tried? Example: Acid rain affecting the bay as a result of runoff. |
Does your research have the potential to make a significant contribution to the field, or does it redundant, simply restating other’s ideas, views and findings. The only way to answer this question is to research what other researchers have done. The only way to do this is to build on top of past research. To answer any of these questions or issues, you will have to conduct secondary research.
The pyramidal relationship to research and the basis of technological advancement. The exponential nature of collaborative research. Main reason third world research is generally not given much consideration – poor foundational and collaborative support.
Is there an agenda behind your research? Can you use certain methods or instruments to enhance your objectives? If, for example, if your agenda includes funding for pollution clean-up programs, how can you adapt your research to reflect federal and government agendas? The agendas of international environmental organizations? To the specific agendas of funding organizations? How can you design your research to optimize your chances of obtaining the funding you are looking for?
How is your research going to be received. Who is your research likely to antagonize? How can you adapt your research to the community in order to get the cooperation you will need. How can you base your survey on past surveys with the goal of refinement and improvement. Are their social, cultural, theological or political perceptions that could affect your research or its results? How can your research be presented in order to maximize its impact? Will you have to present your research in different formats to achieve your goals? Do you have to address different audiences? Politicians, scientists and environmentalists react differently based on technical capacity and perceptive values. Exactly what are the perceptive values of your target audience?
Where can I look for secondary research to answer these questions?
Internet access = access to the largest university libraries in the world. Portals and databases give direct access to complete doctoral and master’s theses and dissertations, and most research institutes publish their findings as they discover it – most of which is free to academic institutions and researchers.