When an appraiser retrieves measurements and field notes from her property inspection two years prior, this data is an example of which data type?

• A. Secondary data
• B. Anecdotal data
• C. Tertiary data
• D. Primary data

Answer: (D)

Data collected firsthand for a specific purpose is primary data. When the appraiser pulls measurements and field notes that she created during her own property inspection, those records are original, directly observed data from the source. Even though they’re being retrieved two years later, they still started as primary data because they were collected by the appraiser for the appraisal itself.

Secondary data would be information gathered by someone else for a different purpose (like published reports or public records). Tertiary data are summaries or compilations of primary and secondary sources. Anecdotal data are informal, unverified observations.