Secondary Research

Secondary research is research that uses information someone else has put together. For example, using information from sources like books, articles, or journals is considered secondary research.

Why it matters

It is the cheapest hour in the whole research budget: someone has probably already studied your question, and finding out costs a search instead of a study. Teams that skip it end up paying interview rates to rediscover published knowledge.

Related terms

Research
Primary Research
De-Identification
Generalist
Interviews

Go deeper in Learn UX

Introduction to UX Research UX Research
Foundational Research UX Research
Design Research UX Research

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