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Doing Primary Research


FAQ


What's secondary vs. primary research?  
Let's use cake as an analogy for information.

  • If you go to a grocery store, you can probably find in bakery section prepackaged cakes like a one-layer vanilla cake with vanilla frosting.  That's like secondary research, where someone else worked to produce and package the info.  Is it quickly and easily available?  Yes.  Was it made specifically for you?  Maybe not.
     
  • What if the grocery store cake doesn't meets your needs? What if you need a three-layer chocolate cake with strawberry frosting?  You'd have to make the cake from scratch, or pay someone to make it to your specifications.  Gathering and analyzing info 'from scratch' is primary research. 

 

When should I do primary research?
First, do secondary research to see what information is already available.  Then do primary research to fill in the gaps and answer the questions you still have.  
 

 

5 Ethical Guidelines

1. Think from the participant's perspective.

  • What information would you be willing to share, about either yourself or your company/organization?  
  • What would make you feel comfortable with answering the questions that a researcher is asking?​
  • How would you feel if you work at Company X, and you learn that the information being gathered will benefit your competitor, Company Y?
     

2. Introduce yourself and the research.

  • Identify yourself honestly, and explain your objectives for conducting the research, including:  
    • how the information collected will be used.
    • who will benefit from the information (e.g. students, a professor, a client company).
    • whether participants will remain anonymous.  If not, why? 
  • Do not misrepresent yourself as a customer or client, especially if seeking information from a competitor company.
     

3.  Be careful with health questions!

  • A person's physical or mental health status is sensitive information.  Even seemingly innocuous questions about things like sleep or stress levels relate to physical or mental health.  
  • Avoid combining health questions and questions that ask for Personally Identifiable Information (PII), unless:
    • 1) you are capable of protecting participants' data, and
    • 2) you explain to participants how you will protect their data.  (See #4 below.)
  • HIPAA is a US Federal law that aims to protect people's health information.  If you collect health information, then best practice is to be HIPAA-compliant.  (Tip: try searching online for this phrase: HIPAA compliance checklist.)
     

4. Consider confidentiality and data security.

  • ​Protect participants’ responses and personal information (see: Working with Sensitive Data).
  • Only collect Personally Identifiable Information (PII) if it is absolutely necessary.
    • PII refers to “information which can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as their name, social security number, biometric records, etc. alone, or when combined with other personal or identifying information which is linked or linkable to a specific individual, such as date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, etc." (Source)
       

5. You might need Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval.  

  • If you're doing primary research for a class assignment or an entrepreneurial project, you probably don't need IRB approval.  If you plan to publish your research (i.e. develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge), then talk with your professor(s)/advisors. 
  • The IRB is responsible for reviewing human subject research and ensuring compliance with federal regulations, state laws, and UC/UCI policies, to protect the safety and welfare of human subjects. (Source)

 

Comparing 3 Methods

Three common primary research methods are surveys, interviews, and focus groups. For more information on these and other research methods, see: Chapter 2 of The Handbook for Market Research for Life Sciences Companies.

Method Definition Pros Cons
Survey Participants are asked to respond to a pre-defined series of questions. Can include both open- and closed-ended questions. Can yield a mix of quantitative and qualitative feedback, depending on how the survey is designed. Can be conducted in-person, by telephone or mail, or online.
  • Cost-effective way to reach greater number of participants.
  • Option for participant anonymity.
  • The rise of “survey fatigue” – the frequency with which individuals receive surveys may reduce response rates.
Interview One-on-one conversation between the researcher and the participant. Usually involve open-ended questions. Yields mostly qualitative responses. Can be conducted in-person or virtually. Option for audio/video recording of responses.
  • Can explore topic more in-depth.
  • Flexibility - can adjust questions based on participant’s responses.
  • Can involve substantial time and/or money.
Focus Group Discussion of a topic amongst a small group of participants. The researcher facilitates the groups’ discussion by asking questions and observing responses. Yields mostly qualitative responses. Can be conducted in-person or virtually. Option for audio/video recording of responses.
  • Receive feedback from multiple participants at one time (can be more efficient than one-on-one interviews).
  • Interactions among participants can provided additional insight for the researcher.
  • Potential for “group think” – the desire to conform to the opinions of the group may reduce the quality of participant responses.
  • One participant may dominate the session, preventing others from sharing their opinions.
  • Participants may be less forthcoming in a group setting.

What should my sample size be?

A sample is a portion of the larger population that you are researching. There is not one, “standard” sample size that applies to all primary research projects. A sample size that is too large may present issues regarding time and money, while a sample size that is too small may invalidate your results.  Use your best judgment when determining your sample size.

For more information, see: Chapter 1 of The Handbook for Market Research for Life Sciences Companies

 

5 Survey Tips

How do I get people to take my survey?

Consider these tips to avoid common pitfalls and design a survey that increases the response rate:

  1. Limit the number of questions
    • Ask only what is absolutely necessary – the shorter, the better!
       
  2. Ensure that the survey can be completed in under 10 minutes (less is better!)
    • Inform participants upfront about the time involved and, if using an online survey, include a progress bar.
       
  3. Consider the ratio of closed- to open-ended questions
    • Closed-ended questions (Yes/No/Maybe) are quicker to answer, and participants are more likely to skip open-ended questions ("What do you think about X?") if there are too many.
       
  4. Consider mode of delivery
    • Online surveys are easier to complete than paper-based surveys and more efficient for the researcher (most online survey tools offer report generation and analysis features).
       
  5. Don't ask for personal information
    • If necessary, allow participants to "opt-in" for a follow-up by providing the opportunity to share their contact information.
       

For more information, see: Questionnaire Design: How to Plan, Structure and Write Survey Material for Effective Market Research

 

Primary Research Tools

 

 

 

 

 

How-to eBooks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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