Desk research/Secondary research
Desk research - also known as secondary research - is when the business collects and uses information from published sources. It has been produced by someone else for a different purpose, but can be accessed by others and be of use to them. It has already been collected by someone else.
Desk research involves analysing information from secondary sources
Methods of collecting desk research include:
- sales figures
- newspapers
- websites
- government publications e.g. social trends
- commercial publications e.g. Keynote and Mintel reports
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Saves time | Not specifically gathered for the business |
| Relatively inexpensive | May be out of date |
| Widely available | May contain bias |
| Advantages | Saves time |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Not specifically gathered for the business |
| Advantages | Relatively inexpensive |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | May be out of date |
| Advantages | Widely available |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | May contain bias |
