Secondary data can be defined as being ______.

A) data sources which are not as good as the initial data found
B) data sources which already exist
C) data sources which should be listed after primary data sources in the bibliography
D) data sources which must be collected by the researcher and analyzed

Secondary data refers to data that has already been collected and exists prior to the current research project. This can include data from previous research studies, government reports, historical records, and various other sources. Unlike primary data, which is collected directly by the researcher for the specific purpose of their study, secondary data has been collected for some other purpose but can be utilized by researchers for their own analyses.