Final answer:
The answer to the questionnaire is B) Secondary, as marketers can purchase secondary data from commercial research firms, which provide cost-effective, unobtrusive resources for research without altering subjects' behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
Marketers can purchase secondary data, which is secondary data available for free from commercial research firms. Thus, the correct answer is B) Secondary. This type of data is considered at least one step removed from the original experience, relying on sources other than direct observation or firsthand experience. Such sources include books, articles online, and textbooks, which often cite and build upon primary sources to provide analyses and perspectives. Secondary data sources are essential for researchers because they can provide expanded insights without the need to involve direct contact with subjects, thereby avoiding the risk of influencing subjects' behaviors and being a more cost-effective research method.
In the context of economic sectors, a software developer would work in the quaternary sector, the part of the service industry concerned with knowledge-based aspects like education, government, and information technology. As for the Middletown study by John S. Lynd and Helen Merrell Lynd, they primarily used secondary data as a research method.
Lastly, using secondary data is considered nonreactive or a. nonreactive, also known as unobtrusive research, as it does not require direct interaction with subjects.