Primary and secondary research

Primary research is first-hand investigation or experimentation conducted for the purpose of collecting new/original data.
This form of research often involves techniques such as surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and experiments.
Primary data gathered in human biology may include measurements like blood pressure, heart rate, BMI, or cell counts.
It is undertaken by those who need to collect hard facts and raw data about something specific. This is often done in laboratories or field work.
Advantages of primary research include that it’s tailor-made to your research needs and typically offers the most accurate results.
On the downside, primary research can be time-consuming and costly.

Secondary research is the process of gathering existing research and data.
This can mean utilizing things like books, reports, research papers, medical records, and online databases.
Secondary data in human biology might include medical reports, health surveys, data from health agencies or previous scientific studies.
Unlike primary research, secondary research involves using existing data—you’re not out there collecting data yourself.
The advantages of secondary research include it being cost- and time-effective, and providing a large amount of data quickly.
One disadvantage of secondary research is that it might not be perfectly suited to your own research question. Also, data might be outdated or contain biases.

The first step in analysis is to organise the data collected from research, which could either be quantitative (numerical) or qualitative (descriptive).
Quantitative data can be analysed statistically and presented in forms like graphs and tables.
Qualitative data can be analysed thematically, looking for common trends and patterns.
Whenever you evaluate scientific research, consider its validity (does it measure what it claims to measure), reliability (would the same results be obtained if the experiment was repeated), and bias (does the study favor a particular group or outcome).
Crucially, scientific conclusions should always be based on evidence, and should be as objective as possible.