Research on oil prices can be greatly enriched by using both secondary and primary sources. Secondary sources include media articles from reputable outlets like the NY Times, business-related journals such as Investopedia, and government publications from entities like the U.
Interviews
-Filling station attendant interviews: for collecting reliable and relevant data from witnesses of change in the industry
Surveys
-Client Heartbeat: online surveying for the general public and to get easy access to a wide range of people for more data
https://www.clientheartbeat.com/
-Telephone survey: easy access to a wide range of people and possible collection of essential data since it is a more personal survey
Why?
-These sources provide statistical data: price range observations, customer opinion, and possible factors identified
-These sources come from witnesses of daily changes in oil prices and behavior, both customers and workers
Ethical Concerns
Disclosure
-In primary sources, disclosure damages need to be considered in order to protect people’s privacy and avoid any inconveniences.
Deceitful
-Secondary sources need to be referenced and be given credit in order to avoid plagiarism.
Media Articles / Internet
-NY Times
http://nyti.ms/1ZRCwey
Government Publications
-U.S. Energy Information Administration
http://1.usa.gov/1vORoIz
Why?
-These would be the best sources since they provide reliable and studied information. The information in these sources has been revised by either government officials, students, experts, and/or academics.
-These sources provide price behavior, causes of such prices, forecasts for future years, and more. They also relate different factors that affect the oil price.