Primary research is defined as which of the following?

• A. Gathered directly by the sociologist (e.g., interviews, questionnaires).
• B. A theory about socialisation.
• C. Existing data from official statistics.
• D. A method of sampling.

Answer: (A)

Primary research means data that you collect yourself, firsthand, for your own study. In sociology, this is data gathered directly by the researcher using methods like interviews, questionnaires, experiments, or observation. That’s why it’s described as gathered directly by the sociologist.

By contrast, existing data from official statistics is secondary data, since someone else collected it for a different purpose. A theory about socialisation isn’t data at all, it’s an idea to explain behavior. A method of sampling relates to how you select participants, not to collecting new data.