Secondary research

Secondary research involves the summary, collation and/or synthesis of existing research. Secondary research is contrasted with primary research in that primary research involves the generation of data, whereas secondary research uses primary research sources as a source of data for analysis.[1] A notable marker of primary research is the inclusion of a "methods" section, where the authors describe how the data was generated.

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Common examples of secondary research include textbooks, encyclopedias, news articles, review articles, and meta analyses.[2][3]

When conducting secondary research, authors may draw data from published academic papers, government documents, statistical databases, and historical records.[1][4]