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Research and Investigation
Quick questions on Primary and secondary research explained: O-Level Design and Technology
4short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is primary research?Show answer
Primary research is first-hand information that the designer collects directly. Common primary methods include:
What is secondary research?Show answer
Secondary research is information already gathered and published by others. Common secondary sources include existing products and their reviews, books and articles, websites, manufacturers' catalogues and material data, and standards or safety regulations. Secondary research is quick and cheap and gives a broad picture, but it is general rather than specific to your users, and it can be out of date.
What is choosing the right method?Show answer
The method must fit the question. To learn how users behave, observe them. To learn what they prefer, interview or survey them. To learn what already exists and what it costs, study products and catalogues.
What are turning findings into requirements?Show answer
The crucial step is to convert findings into design requirements. "Most students said the straps dug into their shoulders" becomes the requirement "must have padded straps at least 50 mm wide". A list of facts is not research output; requirements are. Each finding should drive a specification point.
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