There are literally thousands of potential sources of secondary data, too numerous to list in a book of this scope. However, from the point of view of a decision maker’s organization, a useful technique is to group secondary-data sources broadly into internal sources and external sources. As the terms imply, internal sources are within the organization and external sources are outside the organization. Secondary data are typically labeled internal secondary data or external secondary data, depending on their source.
Internal Secondary Data:A firm’s historical data of sales, list of donors of a public service association, a hospital’s past records of services rendered to patients, and public opinion polls conducted in the past by a political candidate’s campaign office are all sources of internal secondary data for those respective organizations. We earlier emphasized the usefulness of looking into the availability of secondary data before plunging into primary – data collection. Likewise, when seeking secondary data, the researcher should check out the availability of internal secondary before turning to external sources. If available, internal secondary data may be obtained in short time, with less effort, and money as compared to external secondary data. In additions, they may also be more pertinent to the situation at hand since they are from within the organization. The following example illustrates these points.
SCENARIO: Suppose the marketing manager of McDonald’s want to know the effect of the company’s tie-in with movies like Spy Kids. Specifically, the manager would like to examine same-store sales trends. A marketing research firm specialized in the restaurant industry research has estimates of sales for the leading fast food restaurants. These estimates are based on a survey of a representative sample of restaurant goers in the United States and are updated semiannually. Should the manager purchase this syndicated service from the marketing research firm?
The sales estimates provided by the syndicated service, an external secondary data source, will certainly offer useful insights. However, McDonald’s will benefit greatly from examining same-stores sales – internal secondary data that the company itself should have. The syndicated service is also available only semiannually, whereas same-store sales before and after the Spy Kids promotion will provide a clearer picture of the effect of McDonald’s tie-in promotion. Furthermore, the company’s sales data will be up to date all the time. In short, given the specific objective of the manager, internal secondary data will be more relevant and less expensive than the syndicated data offered by the research firm.
Of course, internal secondary data may not always be suitable or adequate for instance, if data are needed on the sales trends of competing fast-food restaurants during the same time period as the movie tie-in promotion, the manager this discussion is that once you have identified your data needs, a systematic search for data will pay off handsomely.
EXTERNAL SOURCES:
A variety of external sources provide secondary data. Although there is no standard way to classify them, the following groupings help to highlight key distinctions across the various sources: government sources; syndicated sources; trade associations; miscellaneous sources; and abstracts, directories, and indexes. Examples of key sources under some of these categories along with brief descriptions of what they offer. Let us now examine the main features each category.
GOVERNMENT SOURCE:
Government agencies and the federal, state, and local levels collect more data about people, firms, markets, and foreign countries than any other secondary – data source. They provide an extremely rich reservoir of data for researchers. Moreover, many of these data are freely available on Internet websites. Looking into government sources of secondary data is a must if the information requirements of a project appear to relate to data in the public domain. Depending on the objective of a project, contacting an appropriate government agency or even visiting the government documents section of a library can turn up potentially valuable published data. Documents published by government sources are typically in the form of summary reports and tabulations based on the raw data collected. However, if additional details or different tabulations are needed, you may be able to obtain some or all of the raw data, usually for a fee. The U.S. Census Bureau, for example, sells computer CDs containing certain types of raw data collected through the variety of censuses it conducts. One example is Public – Use Micro-data Files, containing data from the Census of population and Housing. Public - Use Micro data Files are raw data records, stored on CDs, for a representative sample of housing units in the United States. These records, stored on CDs, for a representative sample of housing units in the United States. These records provide data on the characteristics of each unit and the people living in it. However, to protect the confidentiality of respondents, the Census Bureau excludes all identifying information from the records. For the same reason, micro data records do not identify geographic areas with fewer then 100,000 people. When census data users have unique needs not met by published documents, micro-data files offer them the flexibility to analyze the raw data in whatever manner they desire.
Many Computer–based systems are available to analyze census data. One such system is known as a geographic Information System (GIS). A GIS integrates maps, charts, tables, and data into a coherent structure that is related logically, quantitatively and spatially. Typically such systems are used to organize and present information that has both geometric structure (e.g. maps, blueprints, and photographs) and quantitative structure (e.g. data about population, area and density).
Secondary data offered by marketing research firms are note free. However, since such data are syndicated, their cost is spread over a number of client organizations. Therefore, if suitable syndicated data are available, they should be more cost effective than primary data for an individual client.
SECONDARY SOURCES:
A) General (1) Export Marketing Research for Development International Trade Centre, UNCTAD/ GATT, Geneva 1967. (2) Basic Commodity Statistics-International Trade Centre UNCTAD/GATT, Geneva 1967. (3) Compilation of Basic Information of Export Markets International Trade Centre, UNCTAD/GATT, Geneva 1968. (4) Year Books-Target Countries. (5) The Main Economic Indicators Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECT). (6) OECED Year Book. (7) World Trade Annual by United Nations Statistical Office. (8) Commodity Trade Imports/Commodity Trade Export Services OECD. (9) Compendium of Sources of Basic Commodity Statistics Published by UNCTAD/GATT. (10) FAO Year Book on Basic Commodities. (11) A Bibliography of Market Surveys by Products and Countries-International Trade Centre. UNCTAD/GATT, Geneva 1967. (12) Sources of Commodity Prices-Paul Wesserman. (13) International Customs Journal-by International Customs Tariff Bureau. (14) Croner’s Reference Book to World Traders, Croner Publications, New York, USA (15) Concise Guide to International Markets-by International Advertising Association. (16) International Periodical Directory-by R.R. Bowker &. Co., New York. (17) Trade Directories of the World, Croner Publications, New York.
SCENARIO: Suppose the marketing manager of McDonald’s want to know the effect of the company’s tie-in with movies like Spy Kids. Specifically, the manager would like to examine same-store sales trends. A marketing research firm specialized in the restaurant industry research has estimates of sales for the leading fast food restaurants. These estimates are based on a survey of a representative sample of restaurant goers in the United States and are updated semiannually. Should the manager purchase this syndicated service from the marketing research firm?
The sales estimates provided by the syndicated service, an external secondary data source, will certainly offer useful insights. However, McDonald’s will benefit greatly from examining same-stores sales – internal secondary data that the company itself should have. The syndicated service is also available only semiannually, whereas same-store sales before and after the Spy Kids promotion will provide a clearer picture of the effect of McDonald’s tie-in promotion. Furthermore, the company’s sales data will be up to date all the time. In short, given the specific objective of the manager, internal secondary data will be more relevant and less expensive than the syndicated data offered by the research firm.
Of course, internal secondary data may not always be suitable or adequate for instance, if data are needed on the sales trends of competing fast-food restaurants during the same time period as the movie tie-in promotion, the manager this discussion is that once you have identified your data needs, a systematic search for data will pay off handsomely.
EXTERNAL SOURCES:
A variety of external sources provide secondary data. Although there is no standard way to classify them, the following groupings help to highlight key distinctions across the various sources: government sources; syndicated sources; trade associations; miscellaneous sources; and abstracts, directories, and indexes. Examples of key sources under some of these categories along with brief descriptions of what they offer. Let us now examine the main features each category.
GOVERNMENT SOURCE:
Government agencies and the federal, state, and local levels collect more data about people, firms, markets, and foreign countries than any other secondary – data source. They provide an extremely rich reservoir of data for researchers. Moreover, many of these data are freely available on Internet websites. Looking into government sources of secondary data is a must if the information requirements of a project appear to relate to data in the public domain. Depending on the objective of a project, contacting an appropriate government agency or even visiting the government documents section of a library can turn up potentially valuable published data. Documents published by government sources are typically in the form of summary reports and tabulations based on the raw data collected. However, if additional details or different tabulations are needed, you may be able to obtain some or all of the raw data, usually for a fee. The U.S. Census Bureau, for example, sells computer CDs containing certain types of raw data collected through the variety of censuses it conducts. One example is Public – Use Micro-data Files, containing data from the Census of population and Housing. Public - Use Micro data Files are raw data records, stored on CDs, for a representative sample of housing units in the United States. These records, stored on CDs, for a representative sample of housing units in the United States. These records provide data on the characteristics of each unit and the people living in it. However, to protect the confidentiality of respondents, the Census Bureau excludes all identifying information from the records. For the same reason, micro data records do not identify geographic areas with fewer then 100,000 people. When census data users have unique needs not met by published documents, micro-data files offer them the flexibility to analyze the raw data in whatever manner they desire.
Many Computer–based systems are available to analyze census data. One such system is known as a geographic Information System (GIS). A GIS integrates maps, charts, tables, and data into a coherent structure that is related logically, quantitatively and spatially. Typically such systems are used to organize and present information that has both geometric structure (e.g. maps, blueprints, and photographs) and quantitative structure (e.g. data about population, area and density).
Secondary data offered by marketing research firms are note free. However, since such data are syndicated, their cost is spread over a number of client organizations. Therefore, if suitable syndicated data are available, they should be more cost effective than primary data for an individual client.
SECONDARY SOURCES:
A) General (1) Export Marketing Research for Development International Trade Centre, UNCTAD/ GATT, Geneva 1967. (2) Basic Commodity Statistics-International Trade Centre UNCTAD/GATT, Geneva 1967. (3) Compilation of Basic Information of Export Markets International Trade Centre, UNCTAD/GATT, Geneva 1968. (4) Year Books-Target Countries. (5) The Main Economic Indicators Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECT). (6) OECED Year Book. (7) World Trade Annual by United Nations Statistical Office. (8) Commodity Trade Imports/Commodity Trade Export Services OECD. (9) Compendium of Sources of Basic Commodity Statistics Published by UNCTAD/GATT. (10) FAO Year Book on Basic Commodities. (11) A Bibliography of Market Surveys by Products and Countries-International Trade Centre. UNCTAD/GATT, Geneva 1967. (12) Sources of Commodity Prices-Paul Wesserman. (13) International Customs Journal-by International Customs Tariff Bureau. (14) Croner’s Reference Book to World Traders, Croner Publications, New York, USA (15) Concise Guide to International Markets-by International Advertising Association. (16) International Periodical Directory-by R.R. Bowker &. Co., New York. (17) Trade Directories of the World, Croner Publications, New York.
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