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These are data sources that are generated and stored within an
organisation or entity conducting the research. The information ◆ Generated within an
that exists within the company or unit is studied. Here data is organisation
generated from the activities within a firm such as sales record,
budget etc..

◆ External source
Data is collected by a source external to the unit. It consists of
both private and public documents. Publications of government ◆ Private and public
agencies, RBI bulletins, project reports, conference proceedings documents
etc. are some of the sources. In social science research, researchers
generally rely on published sources such as published record,
statistics, historical documents, journals and magazines as the
external data source.
3.3.2.2 Primary Data
The data collected from the respondents directly are called ◆ First-hand
primary data. It is the first-hand information collected by the information
researcher. The primary data are those which are collected afresh
and for the first time, and thus happen to be original in character.
The sources of primary data are the respondents of the study.

3.3.3 Methods of Collecting Primary Data

There are various methods by which one can collect primary
data from the sample respondents as explained below:
i. Observation

According to the definition given by the Oxford Dictionary it
is an “accurate watching and noting of phenomena as they occur
in nature with regard to cause and effect or mutual relations.” It is
also defined as “the systematic viewing of specific phenomenon
in its proper setting for the specific purpose of gathering data for a
particular study”. Under the observation method, the information ◆ Systematic viewing
is sought by way of investigator’s own direct observation without and recording
asking from the respondent. This method is particularly suitable
in studies which deal with subjects (i.e., respondents) who are not
capable of giving verbal reports of their feelings for one reason
or the other. It is both a mental and physical activity wherein a
researcher fixes a range of things to be observed and noted. Hence,
it is selective and purposive.
Types of observations

There are various types of Observation.

◆ Simple and systematic: An exploratory observation is a
simple observation while a properly organised observation
with proper procedures is a part of systematic observation.

SGOU - SLM - MCom Research Methodology 119