ABSTRACT
Primary data is information that is generated directly by the market researcher to answer his research question. Generally, primary research is costlier to generate both in terms of time and resources, but it is customized for the researcher's needs. This chapter deals specifically with the data collection framework that is the questionnaire or discussion guide. It also deals with the information collection activities specifically, such as in-depth interviews, focus groups, surveys, observation, mystery shops, and Delphi groups, from an implementation perspective and provides examples and information on how these activities are used by life science organizations. The chapter proposes four simple steps to develop a data collection tool. It focuses on closed-ended questions and open-ended questions. Nominal questions are those where the choices are presented to participants across categories but in no particular order. An interval question is one where spacing across categories is even.
