Develop a research question. Secondary research often uses this as a starting point as well. With primary research, however, rather than using library research to answer your research question, you’ll also collect data yourself to answer the question you developed. Data, in this case, is the information you collect yourself through meth- ods such as interviews, surveys, and observations.
Decide on a research method. According to Scott and Garner, “A research method is a recognized way of collecting or producing [primary data], such as a survey, interview, or content analysis of documents” (8). In other words, the method is how you obtain the data.
Collect data. Merriam and Tisdale clarify what it means to collect data: “data collection is about asking, watching, and reviewing” (105-106). Primary research might include asking questions via surveys or interviews, watching or observing interactions or events, and examining documents or other texts.
Analyze data. Once data is collected, it must then be analyzed. “Data analysis is the process of making sense out of the data… Basically, data analysis is the process used to answer your research question(s)” (Merriam and Tisdale 202). It’s worth noting that many researchers collect data and analyze at the same time, so while these may seem like different steps in the process, they actu- ally overlap.
5. Report findings. Once the researcher has spent time understanding and interpreting the data, they are then ready to write about their research, often called “findings.” You may also see this referred to as “results.”
