Primary data is direct or firsthand evidence collected from sources like an event, object, person, e.g., historical and legal documents, eyewitness accounts, results of experiments, statistical data, pieces of creative writing, audio and video recordings, speeches, and art objects using methods like surveys, interviews, or experiments. Secondary data is data gathered from studies, surveys, or experiments that have been run by other people or for other research. Researchers usually begin with secondary data as this allows time to formulate questions and gain an understanding of the issues at hand before collecting primary data which consumes much time and money.