Which of the following is a type of primary data?

• A. Measurements
• B. Government statistics
• C. Maps
• D. Online datasets

Answer: (A)

Primary data is information collected directly by the researcher for a specific study. Measuring something yourself in the field—like recording river width, temperature, or distances at particular locations—produces data you gathered firsthand, so it is primary data. The other options are usually secondary data because they come from sources that were created by others: government statistics are compiled by a government agency, maps are pre-made representations, and online datasets are collected and published by other organizations. (If you were to create your own map from your own measurements, that could be primary, but in typical contexts these items are treated as secondary data.)