1. Why would you spend time doing secondary research?

The number one reason to do Secondary Research is that it’s quick and very cost-effective.
That said, it should never replace primary research.

What secondary research is

Secondary research (Deskresearch/Landscape Analysis) is pre-existing base of knowledge that was done by a (former) colleague or an external agency that can inform your work. It can be very useful to your project because it gives you the historical and contextual knowledge you may need.

We distinguish internal and external secondary research:

A. Internal
Internal Secondary research is done by someone from inside the organisation itself; your (former) colleague.

Look for:

• Shared repositories
• Previously produced materials

B. External
External Secondary Research is performed inside your organisation. The results of this type of research was conducted previously and is only relevant if that subjects is similar to yours.

Look for:

• Industry reports
• Academic papers
• Market research
• case studies

3. What to watch out for when conduction secondary research

Stakeholders who have the most skin in the game also influence the process the most since they rely so much on it being successful. Make sure to manage them closely by:

• Planning your interviews around the key stakeholders first
• Understanding what important questions you need to get answers to
• Uncovering the constraints that you will deal with.

Our Secondary Research Guide offers a quick insight into the most important things to do and understand at the start of your project