Which of the following is a disadvantage of secondary data?

• A. May not be precisely relevant to information needs
• B. Information may not be timely and out of date
• C. Inaccurate
• D. Quick and easy to gather

Answer: (A)

Secondary data is data someone else collected for a purpose different from your own project. The main disadvantage is that it may not fit your exact information needs—the data might not cover the same time period, geographic area, or the specific variables you’re looking for. Because of that, you can’t rely on it to answer your question precisely, and you may have to adjust your analysis or gather new primary data, which reduces the time and cost benefits you hoped for. While data can sometimes be outdated or inaccurate, those issues depend on the source and context; the fundamental limitation is the potential misalignment with what you actually need. Quick and easy to gather is an advantage, not a disadvantage, so it doesn’t fit as a downside.