What is Desk Research? Everything You Need to Know

27 Oct 2023 596 share it:

Researching is a basic skill that a student needs to have to create ideal academic documents. It is so because, without appropriate information, you cannot draft an ideal document. However, there is a process that you need to follow to gather the required data. Thus, this begins with conducting desk research or secondary research. Yes, you guessed it right, it is the research that can be conducted while sitting at your desk only. So, this blog is drafted to give you a brief understanding of the type of research.

What is Desk Research? The Meaning

As the name suggests, desk research is a type of research that you can perform sitting at your desk. In other words, it is a type of market research where you gather data from existing resources to have an overview of the theme you are working on. Furthermore, desk research is a methodology of gathering and evaluating the data collected from the available resources like documents, libraries, publications and more. Desk based research is also known as a secondary method of gathering the required information.

The purpose of conducting a desk study is to build a base for further studies about a particular topic. In other words, developing a prototype for it is necessary before digging deep into any field. It is so because it will help you to understand what is already been done in the past around the specific subject. Thus, in simpler terms, this research helps you to have an overview of what is previously done in the sector and what is the scope you can work on.

So, if you have made up your mind to conduct desk based research for your next study, you need to know the methods of this type to get along with it smoothly.

What Are the Methods of Desk Research?

There are several methods of desk research that you can use to gather the required data. These are:

1. Data Available on the Internet

2. Business Databases and Libraries

3. Educational Institutions

4. Govt and Non-Govt Organizations

5. Commercial Information Media

6. Trade Associations

Moving ahead to have an understanding of each source in brief to give you a deep insight into each of them:

1. Data Available on the Internet

It is the most common method to gather data for desk research, as it is the easiest way of doing it. It is a fact that no one in the present time refers to a book to find some information; rather, they surf the net to ease the process. It is one of those methods that can make you collect the information effortlessly. This is the most used way, as you can have the desired information with just a few clicks.

2. Business Databases and Libraries

Libraries created by the businesses themselves are a great way to collect data. It is so because they have gathered that particular data after going through a rigorous process and ensuring its authenticity. So this makes it clear that this information will never be fake or incorrect. So, if you use that for your study, it will automatically make your paper credible as well. This might be a tricky procedure, but seeking assistance from experts at assignment writing services can reduce your pain.

3. Educational Institutions

Universities and colleges conduct numerous primary researches every year, which are the best sources of data that you can use. Although fetching this information requires you to have several connections, but if you have, then there is nothing easier than this source. These sources include academic journals, research papers and more that are well-researched and appropriately created. Moreover, all these documents are created after conducting thorough research from credible sources.

4. Govt and Non-Govt Organizations

All the government and non-government institutions maintain records or statistical data that can help you to analyse the information you need. Moreover, these are the most authentic sources of getting information as they are gathered by credible authorities. Hence, performing desk based research from the government organization's data is the best thing you can do. Besides this, all these sources are mostly free of cost or will charge a minimum amount.

5. Commercial Information Media

Commercial media are the oldest ways to gather all the required data without much ado. These include radio, newspapers, TV's, podcasts, YouTube, and more. All these media are reliable sources for collecting information on economic and political development, public opinion, market research, and all the latest topics. Moreover, this source includes all three: advertising, entertainment and information to present a perspective on a particular subject. Thus, getting knowledge from this is the easiest way to understand any tricky theme.

6. Trade Associations

Using this way of desk based research methodology gathers data that is there with the trade unions. These are the communities that include traders from various segments of the industry. These associations gather the information by performing in-depth research to have an analysis of the growth of the sector, the updates in the technologies and more. Moreover, these associations can help you to have an overview of the market trends in specific areas.

These are some of the types of desk research methods you can use to perform this research. Moving ahead, let's explore the pros and cons of using this type of research for your papers.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Desk Research

As you are already aware, there are different methods of gathering data, so choosing an appropriate one becomes necessary. So, to ease the selection process, we have listed the pros and cons of the desk based research method so that you can opt wisely.

Advantages of Desk Research

There are several benefits of desk research that you will explore in this section:

• Inexpensive: It is the most cost-effective method of collecting the required data. This is so because, using the internet, you can get all the necessary knowledge according to your theme or topic.

• Quick: As the internet is readily available, you can receive all the information in just a few clicks. Thus, it is the most time-saving than the primary or any other. It is so because it will use pre-existing data.

• Clear: By collecting information through the desk method, you will get a clear understanding before you conduct primary research. It is so because it will build a base for your further study.

• Scalable: As the world of the internet is so diverse, you can gather the necessary information from anywhere in the world. Thus, you can collect large-scale data without much ado.

• Comprehensive: As already discussed, this data collection process enables you to refer to several sources. Thus, you can have an entire series of questions you can solve through this.

These are the few advantages of the method; moving ahead, let's discover the other side of using it.

Disadvantages of Desk Research

There are several drawbacks of desk research that you will explore in this section:

• Non-Updated: Using data that is already collected by someone else is not updated. It is so because it is not freshly gathered and not includes any modification as per current situations. Thus, using the desk based research can sometimes serve you with outdated information.

• No Control: Using this method to collect information will not let you control anything, such as participants and situations. Thus, if you want to have this power, then this method is not for you.

• No Uniqueness: Secondary data is not exclusive to anyone, as it is accessible to everyone. Thus, there will be nothing new in your research if you are using it.

• No Credibility: You cannot find reliable data if you do not know how to figure out an authentic source to collect the information. Thus, it is crucial to have an understanding of credible resources while using this method.

These are the limitations of desk research that you must perceive before using this source of research. Moving ahead, we have listed a few illustrations of this method of conducting research, which will help you to have a better understanding.

Desk Research Examples for Better Knowledge

There are a few examples of desk research that you can refer to to increase your understanding of desk research. Some of them are:

• Academic Research: A graduate student working on a research paper conducts desk research to build a foundation for their research to identify gaps.

• Investment Analysis: Investors use this research to evaluate potential investments by reviewing financial statements, industry reports, and more.

• Market Research for a New Product: Before launching a new product, a company might conduct this research to analyze existing market data and consumer behaviour.

• Policy Development: Government agencies use desk based research to develop policies and regulations by analyzing existing laws.

• Historical Research: Historians use this to study the past. They examine historical documents, newspapers, and archives to connect events of different times together.

• Legal Research: Lawyers frequently conduct desk research to find legal precedents and cases relevant to a specific case.

These are the examples of desk research have given you a deep understanding of the research method. Moreover, even after all these you are baffled around, seeking help from professional dissertation writing services is the best option. However, choosing an authentic platform is crucial to ensure high quality.

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