This type of data is information you do not get directly from the people involved.

• A. Real-time data
• B. Qualitative data
• C. Primary research
• D. Secondary research

Answer: (D)

The situation describes secondary data. It refers to information that you don’t collect directly from the people involved, but rather use data that someone else has already gathered for another purpose—such as published studies, government reports, or existing datasets. This distinction matters because secondary data relies on sources created earlier, not on your own firsthand data collection.

Real-time data is about when data is collected—as events happen—which isn’t the defining feature here. Qualitative data describes the type of data (descriptive, non-numerical) rather than where it came from. Primary research is data you collect directly from participants yourself, which is the opposite of the scenario described.