Primary Data refers to original data collected directly from research.

• A. Data gathered from published reports only.
• B. Original data collected directly from research.
• C. Data copied from competitors' market analyses.
• D. Data synthesized from secondary sources.

Answer: (B)

Primary data are original facts or measurements gathered firsthand for a specific research purpose. This means you collect the information directly through methods like surveys, experiments, observations, or interviews, creating data that didn’t exist before you started the study. That’s why the statement is correct: it identifies primary data as original data collected directly from research.

The other ideas describe secondary data—data that already exist in published reports or are compiled from existing sources. Data from published reports, copying from competitors’ analyses, or synthesizing information from secondary sources are all examples of using data that wasn’t newly collected for your current study.