Which term refers to information collected by the sociologist at first hand?

Which term refers to information collected by the sociologist at first hand?

• A. Secondary Data
• B. Official Statistics
• C. Primary Data
• D. Non-official Statistics

Answer: (C)

Primary data are information gathered directly by the sociologist through methods like interviews, surveys, experiments, or participant observation for a specific study. This firsthand collection lets the researcher design the data collection to fit the exact research question, choose the sample, and control how data are gathered, which helps ensure the data are timely and relevant for that project. Secondary data, on the other hand, come from information someone else collected for a different purpose and then reused for another study. Official statistics are a common type of secondary data produced by government agencies, while non-official statistics isn’t a standard term and would also be secondary. So the term that refers to information collected directly by the sociologist is primary data.

Primary data are information gathered directly by the sociologist through methods like interviews, surveys, experiments, or participant observation for a specific study. This firsthand collection lets the researcher design the data collection to fit the exact research question, choose the sample, and control how data are gathered, which helps ensure the data are timely and relevant for that project.

Secondary data, on the other hand, come from information someone else collected for a different purpose and then reused for another study. Official statistics are a common type of secondary data produced by government agencies, while non-official statistics isn’t a standard term and would also be secondary. So the term that refers to information collected directly by the sociologist is primary data.