Describe at least two limitations to both primary and secondary data and how understanding those limitations can improve your future CQI work.

Discussion 6-2: Limitations of Primary and Secondary Data

Secondary and primary data have both advantages and limitations. Two of the many limitations of primary data are that it is expensive and time-consuming (Ajayi, 2017). Researchers must spend more money to gather primary data, also, it may take several days based on the number of responders and other factors. Experimental research needs financial resources to ensure that the entire process is successful. Some research may require staff or patient education which is expensive. The implementation and evaluation processes are also often expensive. Again, most surveys may take longer if there are many responders (Ajayi, 2017). Some experiments take three months, six months, or even a year to realize a significant result, which is quite a long time.

Secondary data has some limitations too. Secondary data may not be too specific to the researcher’s need because they are collected in the past for another purpose. For instance, secondary data about hospital-acquired infections in a hospital are not specific to another hospital, although may provide good insight on how to manage the cases (Squitieri et al., 2020). Additionally, the researcher does not have control over the quality of secondary data because it was collected by another person. Data that is already collected and published cannot be manipulated or adjusted for quality control but rather analyzed the way it is (Squitieri et al., 2020). Secondary data should be gathered, analyzed, and made accessible without losing its originality.

A good researcher should decide on the type of information and the method of collection they want to use before commencing the research process. To decide on the appropriate type of data to use, it is important to understand both pros and cons of primary and secondary sources of information (Ajayi, 2017). Therefore, understanding the limitations of primary and secondary data will help to identify the type of research to conduct in future continuous quality improvement projects.

References

Ajayi, V. O. (2017). Primary sources of data and secondary sources of data. Benue State University, 1(1), 1-6. 10.13140/RG.2.2.24292.68481

Squitieri, L., & Chung, K. C. (2020). Deriving evidence from secondary data in hand surgery: strengths, limitations, and future directions. Hand Clinics, 36(2), 231-243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hcl.2020.01.011