_____ includes data collected directly by the assessment team (for example, windshield survey).

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

Answer: (A)

Collecting data directly in the field for the specific assessment is primary data. A windshield survey fits this because it involves the assessment team observing and recording conditions in the community firsthand, during the current evaluation. The data come from what the team themselves observes and notes, not from already published sources.

Secondary data are data that already exist from earlier studies, reports, or records and are used for the current assessment. Tertiary data are summaries or syntheses of primary and secondary sources. Quaternary data isn’t typically used in this context. So, windshield survey exemplifies primary data because it’s gathered directly by the team for this assessment.