Final answer:
The data resulting from original research conducted by a company is called primary data. This is firsthand information collected specifically for a research purpose, unlike secondary data, which is pre-existing data used for new research. Surveys were the primary method used in the Middletown study, and software developers fall within the tertiary economic sector.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of data that results from original research undertaken by a company through its own efforts is known as primary data. Primary data is information that is collected firsthand by the researcher for a specific research purpose or project. It is directly collected from the source, and it includes a variety of forms such as interviews, surveys, experiments, and observations.
In contrast, secondary data refers to data that is not originally collected but obtained from existing sources. This data has already been collected by someone else and is used by another party for research. Examples include books, articles, and information from databases. Using secondary data is often considered to be nonreactive or nonintrusive, as the data is collected without direct interaction with the subjects.
Regarding the Middletown study by John S. Lynd and Helen Merrell Lynd, the main research method was a survey. They used structured and unstructured surveys to gather detailed information from individuals and households in the town.
In the context of a software developer's role in an economy, such a profession would be categorized in the tertiary sector, which involves the provision of services rather than the production of goods.