Which of the following is typically considered primary data collection?

• A. Focus groups
• B. Data from a system
• C. Questionaries
• D. Trade journals

Answer: (C)

Primary data collection means information gathered firsthand for a specific research question. A questionnaire fits this because you design questions and administer them to participants to obtain original responses for your study. It provides a direct source of data you can analyze for your own objectives, typically in a standardized format that supports quantitative analysis. Focus groups are also a way of collecting data directly from participants, but they are qualitative and exploratory in nature, gathering rich insights from group discussion rather than producing easily comparable numerical data. Data from a system and trade journals represent existing sources that were collected earlier for different purposes, so they count as secondary data rather than data you collect anew for your current project.