Secondary research is a method of collecting data that has already been gathered by some one else. It is a technique used when performing marketing research. We find secondary research on websites like BARB, RAJAR and NRS. But you can also find secondary research in books, television, radio etc.
The advantages of secondary research is that it takes less time to gather up than primary research because the results are already there. It is also a cheaper way because most of the time, it is all on the internet so you can just find them on google.The use of secondary research may help the researcher to clarify the research question. Secondary research is often used prior to primary research to help clarify the research focus.
But the disadvantages may be that the results maybe old and not time up with the current market with companies competing in fast changing industries, an out-of-date research reports many have little or no relevance to the current market situation. Also the researcher may not get the full version of the research to gain the full value of the study. This is because many research suppliers offer free portions of their research and then charge expensive fees for their full reports.