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Types of Research

Research can be classified based on various criteria, including purpose, method, and approach.

(i) Descriptive vs. Analytical

  • Descriptive Research:

    • Purpose: To describe the current state of affairs.

    • Methods: Surveys, fact-finding inquiries.

    • Ex post facto research: Researcher has no control over variables; reports what has happened.

    • Examples: Frequency of shopping, people's preferences.

    • Methods utilized: Survey methods, comparative and correlational methods.

  • Analytical Research:

    • Purpose: To analyze existing facts or information for critical evaluation.

    • Method: Uses available data to analyze and evaluate.

(ii) Applied vs. Fundamental

  • Applied (Action) Research:

    • Purpose: To find solutions to immediate practical problems.

    • Examples: Marketing research, copy research, evaluation research, identifying social, economic, or political trends.

    • Central aim: Discover a solution for a pressing practical problem.

  • Fundamental (Basic/Pure) Research:

    • Purpose: To develop generalizations and theories; knowledge for knowledge's sake.

    • Examples: Research on natural phenomena, pure mathematics, human behavior generalizations.

    • Central aim: Finding information with broad applications, adds to scientific knowledge.

(iii) Quantitative vs. Qualitative

  • Quantitative Research:

    • Purpose: To measure quantity or amount.

    • Applicable to: Phenomena expressed in numerical terms.

    • Focus: Measurable data.

  • Qualitative Research:

    • Purpose: To explore qualitative phenomena (quality or kind).

    • Examples: Motivation research, attitude/opinion research.

    • Methods: In-depth interviews, word association tests, sentence completion tests, story completion tests.

    • Focus: Underlying motives and desires, behavioral sciences.

    • Difficulty: Requires expertise from experimental psychologists.

(iv) Conceptual vs. Empirical

  • Conceptual Research:

    • Purpose: To develop new concepts or reinterpret existing ones.

    • Method: Relies on abstract ideas and theories.

    • Usage: Primarily by philosophers and thinkers.

  • Empirical Research:

    • Purpose: To verify hypotheses through observation or experiment.

    • Method: Data-based, relies on experience or observation.

    • Characteristics:

      • Working hypothesis.

      • Data collection to prove/disprove hypothesis.

      • Experimental designs with variable manipulation.

      • Researcher's control over variables.

    • Focus: Proof that variables affect other variables.

(v) Some Other Types of Research

  • Time-Based:

    • One-time research: Conducted within a single time period.

    • Longitudinal research: Conducted over multiple time periods.

  • Environment-Based:

    • Field-setting research: Conducted in natural environments.

    • Laboratory research: Conducted in controlled laboratory settings.

    • Simulation research: research that uses models.

  • Approach-Based:

    • Clinical/Diagnostic research: Case-study methods, in-depth approaches.

    • Exploratory research: Development of hypotheses.

    • Formalized research: Testing specific hypotheses with structured methodology.

    • Historical research: Uses historical documents and remains.

  • Purpose-Based:

    • Conclusion-oriented research: researcher has freedom to explore.

    • Decision-oriented research: Research for decision-making (e.g., operations research).

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