Which of the following is not a source of secondary data ?

Question

Accepted Answer

Option 3, "Self survey," is the correct answer because it is not a source of secondary data. To understand why this is the case, let's first define what secondary data is. Secondary data refers to information that has already been collected, processed, and published by someone else. It is data that is not collected firsthand by the researcher but is obtained from existing sources.

1. **Explanation for Option 3 (Self survey):**
   - A self survey involves collecting data firsthand by conducting surveys or questionnaires. This means that the data is primary because it is collected directly from the source by the researcher for a specific purpose. Since secondary data is characterized by its pre-existing nature, a self survey does not fit this definition, making it the correct answer as a non-source of secondary data.

2. **Explanation for why other options are incorrect:**

- **Option 1 (Magazines):**
     - Magazines are a source of secondary data because they contain information that has been previously collected, analyzed, and published by journalists, researchers, or other authors. When researchers use data from magazines, they are utilizing information that has already been processed, thus qualifying it as secondary data.

- **Option 2 (Official report):**
     - Official reports are documents published by organizations, governments, or institutions that contain data collected and analyzed by these entities. Since the data in official reports is already compiled and published, it is considered secondary data when used by researchers who did not participate in the original data collection.

- **Option 4 (Data stored on the internet):**
     - Data stored on the internet can be a source of secondary data when it involves information that has been previously collected and published online. This includes databases, articles, reports, and other digital content that researchers can access and use without having been involved in the original data collection process.

In summary, Option 3, "Self survey," is correctly identified as not being a source of secondary data because it involves the collection of primary data directly by the researcher. The other options involve data that has already been collected and published, making them sources of secondary data.