What type of data does secondary data include?

Secondary data refers to information that has already been collected, processed, and published by someone else, making it accessible for reuse in various research contexts. This type of data can include a wide range of sources such as academic articles, government reports, datasets available online, statistics compiled by organizations, and more. Researchers often rely on secondary data because it saves time and resources compared to collecting original (primary) data.

In contrast, the other choices describe forms of data that are categorized as primary data. For example, data collected through surveys or interviews refers to information gathered first-hand specifically for a particular research project, which is characteristic of primary research methods. Therefore, the primary distinction lies in the origin of the data; secondary data is derived from prior research or existing records, making choice B the accurate representation of what constitutes secondary data.