Primary and Secondary Research Gathering Methods

Successful intelligence programs don’t rely on guesswork. They are built on two powerful research engines: Secondary research, which uncovers valuable insights from published sources, and primary research, the hands-on process that validates assumptions and reveals the real attitudes, motivations, and strategies shaping your market.

In this course, you’ll learn how secondary research - including press releases, analyst reports, trade journals, regulatory filings, speeches, and other public sources - helps identify trends, opportunities, and emerging risks. More importantly, you’ll discover how this research becomes the foundation for primary research, where direct conversations with customers, prospects, industry experts, and even competitors uncover the truth behind the data.

Primary research is where intelligence becomes real. It confirms assumptions, exposes hidden opportunities, and reveals the beliefs and behaviors driving decision-making. While it requires deeper effort and investigative thinking, it is the critical step that transforms raw information into strategic advantage.

This course provides a clear, practical framework for understanding both research methods and shows how organizations integrate them to power effective intelligence programs, make smarter decisions, and stay ahead of the competition.

If you want to strengthen your analytical capabilities, improve strategic decision-making, and gain insights your competitors miss, this course will give you the tools to do it.

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When you successfully pass a test you will obtain a Course Completion document (this proves you took, and passed, that specific course). Collect the specific Course Completion documents for any given SME roadmap - or what your professor requires. When all are obtained for a given SME roadmap, submit those documents to glenb@market-awareness.com in one email and we will issue you a Subject Matter Expert personalized certificate.

After viewing this course you can take the test below.

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