Travel and Tourism Research - Tourism: Principles, Practices, Philosophies - page 402

achieved. It is the task of the researcher to follow up to make the previous investment of time and
money worthwhile.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Primary data, secondary data, or both may be used in a research investigation. are

original data gathered for the speci c purpose of solving the travel research problem that confronts
you. In contrast,

Primary data

have already been collected for some other purpose and are
available for use by simply visiting the library or other such repositories of secondary data. When
researchers conduct a survey of cruise passengers to determine their attitudes and opinions, they are
collecting primary data. When they access Census Bureau information on travel agents, they are using
a secondary source.
The situation analysis step of the

secondary data

is emphasized because it focuses on the
use of secondary sources; however, their use is not con ned to this step. One of the biggest mistakes in
travel research is to rush out and collect primary data without exhausting secondary source
information. Only later do you discover that you have duplicated previous research when existing
sources could have provided information to solve your problem for a fraction of the cost. Only after
exhausting secondary sources and finding that you still lack suf cient data to solve your problem
should you turn to primary sources.

travel research process

Secondary Data

In the last ten years, there has been a virtual explosion of information related to tourism, travel,
recreation, and leisure. A competent researcher must be well acquainted with these sources and know
how to find them. The Internet is a source that contains a wealth of information.
If you are fortunate enough to find secondary sources of information, you can save yourself a great
deal of time and money. Low cost is clearly the greatest advantage of secondary data. When secondary
data sources are available, it is not necessary to construct and print questionnaires, hire interviewers,
pay transportation costs, pay coders, pay data inputers, and pay programmers; thus, it is easy to see
the cost advantage of utilizing secondary data. Secondary data can also be collected much more
quickly than can primary data. With an original research project, it typically takes a minimum of 60 to
90 days or more to collect data; secondary data could be collected in a library or on the Internet within
a few days.
Secondary data are not without disadvantages; for example, many times the information does not
fit the problem for which you need information. Another problem is timeliness; many secondary
sources become outdated. For example, the Census of Population and Housing is conducted every ten
years; as we get to the end of that time period, the data are not very useful.

Evaluating Secondary Data

Although it is not expected that everyone will be a research expert, everyone should be able to
evaluate or appraise secondary data. Any study, no matter how interesting, must be subjected to
evaluation: ''Is it a valid study? Can I use the results to make decisions?'' On such occasions the
researcher must evaluate the secondary data and determine whether they are usable.
The following criteria may be used to appraise the value of information obtained from secondary
sources:

1. The organizations supplying the data. What amount of time went into the study? Who

conducted the study? What experience did the personnel have? What was the financial capacity