Here’s a clear and simple explanation of Research Purposes, Research Design, Survey Research, and Case Study Research—broken down step by step with examples to make each concept easy to understand.
1. Research Purposes
What It Is: The reason or goal behind doing research. It’s the “why” that drives your study.
Simple Explanation: Research purposes define what you want to achieve. Common purposes include:
Explore: Investigate something new or unknown.
Describe: Provide details about what something is like.
Explain: Understand why or how something happens.
Predict: Forecast what might happen in the future.
Example: If you’re researching a new type of electric car:
Explore: Test how it performs in different weather conditions.
Describe: Document its speed, battery life, and features.
Explain: Figure out why it uses less energy than other cars.
Predict: Estimate how popular it will be based on current trends.
2. Research Design
What It Is: The overall plan or strategy for conducting your research. It’s the “how” of your study.
Simple Explanation: Research design is like a blueprint—it outlines the steps you’ll take, including what data to collect, how to collect it, and how to analyze it.
Example: If you’re studying whether a new teaching method improves student grades, your research design might include:
Type of Data: Test scores before and after using the method.
Collection Method: Give students a test, apply the new method, then test again.
Analysis: Compare the scores to see if they improved.
3. Survey Research
What It Is: A type of research where you collect data from a group of people using questionnaires or interviews.
Simple Explanation: Surveys are like polls—you ask a bunch of people the same questions to understand what a larger group thinks or does.
Example: If you want to know how people feel about a new movie, you might:
Create a questionnaire with questions like, “Did you enjoy the movie? Why or why not?”
Distribute it to 200 moviegoers.
Analyze the responses to see overall opinions.
4. Case Study Research
What It Is: A detailed, in-depth study of a single instance, event, or group.
Simple Explanation: Case studies are like zooming in with a magnifying glass—you focus on one specific example to learn as much as possible about it.
Example: If you’re researching why a particular business succeeded, you might:
Study its history, strategies, and challenges.
Interview its leaders and employees.
Analyze its financial records and market position.
Use these insights to understand what made it successful.
How They Fit Together
Research Purposes tell you why you’re doing the research (e.g., to explore or explain).
Research Design tells you how you’ll do it (e.g., using surveys or experiments).
Survey Research and Case Study Research are specific types of research designs you might choose based on your purpose:
Use a survey when you need broad data from many people.
Use a case study when you need deep insights from one or a few examples.
Summary
Research Purposes: Why you’re doing the research (explore, describe, explain, predict).
Research Design: The plan for how you’ll conduct the research (data type, collection, analysis).
Survey Research: Collecting data from a sample via questionnaires or interviews to understand a larger group.
Case Study Research: An in-depth study of a single instance to gain detailed insights.
These concepts are the building blocks of good research. By understanding them, you can design studies that are clear, focused, and effective at answering your questions!