Get premium membership and access questions with answers, video lessons as well as revision papers.

Discuss five types of research

      

Discuss five types of research

  

Answers


Faith
1.Descriptive vs. Analytical:

Descriptive research includes surveys and fact-finding enquiries of different kinds. The major purpose of descriptive research is description of the state of affairs as it exists at present. The main characteristic of this method is that the researcher has no control over the variables; he can only report what has happened or what is happening. Most descriptive research projects are used for descriptive studies in which the researcher seeks to measure such items as, for example, frequency of shopping, preferences of people, or similar data.
In analytical research, on the other hand, the researcher has to use facts or information already available, and analyze these to make a critical evaluation of the material.

2.Applied vs. Fundamental:

Applied research aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem facing a society or an industrial/business organization, e.g. research to identify social, economic or political trends that may affect a particular institution.
Fundamental research is mainly concerned with generalizations and with the formulation of a theory, e.g research studies, concerning human behavior carried on with a view to make generalizations about human behavior.

3.Quantitative vs. Qualitative:

-Qualitative research explores attitudes, behavior and experiences through such methods as interviews or focus groups. It attempts to get an in-depth opinion from participants. As it is attitudes, behavior and experiences which are important, fewer people take part in the research, but the contact with these people tends to last a lot longer.
-Quantitative research generates statistics through the use of large-scale survey research, using methods such as questionnaires or structured interviews. If a market researcher has stopped you on the streets, or you have filled in a questionnaire, this falls under the umbrella of quantitative research. This type of research reaches many more people, but the contact with those people is much quicker than it is in qualitative research.

4.Conceptual vs. Empirical:

Conceptual research is that related to some abstract idea(s) or theory. It is generally used by philosophers and thinkers to develop new concepts or to reinterpret existing ones.
On the other hand, empirical research relies on experience or observation alone, often without due regard for system and theory. It is data-based research, coming up with conclusions which are capable of being verified by observation or experiment.

Titany answered the question on August 13, 2021 at 09:45


Next: Describe the nature of research
Previous: Describe the research process

View More Communication Skills Questions and Answers | Return to Questions Index


Learn High School English on YouTube

Related Questions