The gathering of new information which does not already exist is known as what?

• A. Qualitative research
• B. Secondary research
• C. Primary research
• D. Focus groups

Answer: (C)

Gathering new information that doesn’t exist yet is called primary research. It involves collecting original data specifically for a decision or problem, using methods like surveys, interviews, experiments, or observations. This contrasts with secondary research, which uses data that already exists, such as reports or studies produced by others. The term qualitative research describes the type of data (descriptive, non-numeric) rather than the source of the data, and it can be either primary or secondary. Focus groups are a technique used within primary research to generate new insights, but they’re a method rather than the overall concept of collecting fresh data.