An appraiser inspects a subject property, which is an old, abandoned school building. The appraiser's measurements and field notes from the inspection would be considered what type of data?

• A. Secondary Data
• B. Tertiary Data
• C. Specific Data
• D. Primary Data

Answer: (D)

Data collected directly from the source by the investigator is primary data. In appraisal, when the appraiser inspects the property and records measurements and field notes, those are firsthand observations made specifically for this assignment. They are not taken from someone else’s published sources or compiled summaries. Secondary data would be information gathered by others for a different purpose (like published market data or public records used as input), while tertiary data are summaries or compilations of primary and secondary sources. So the appraiser’s measurements and field notes from the inspection are best described as primary data.