Innovative Data Sources

In addition to traditional data sources, such as information gathered during surveys, data can be collected from a variety of alternative sources.

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• Primary data is the main type of information that comes to mind when people talk about collecting data. It consists of gathering data through surveys, interviews, or experiments.
• Occasionally, researchers find that data has already been collected, sometimes by the government and sometimes by a third party. Previously collected information that the field team then makes use of is known as secondary data.
• Any source of data, such as secondary data, that is not collected first-hand is an innovative data source.
• Examples of secondary data include administrative and monitoring data, geospatial data, and many more discussed in below.