Research comes in many shapes and sizes. Before a researcher begins to conduct a study, he or she
must decide on a specific type of research. Good researchers understand the advantages and
disadvantages of each type, although most end up specializing in one.
For classification of research we shall look from four dimensions:
1. The purpose of doing research;
2. The intended uses of research;
3. How it treats time i.e. the time dimension in research; and
4. The research (data collection) techniques used in it.
The four dimensions reinforce each other; that is, a purpose tends to go with certain techniques and
particular uses. Few studies are pure types, but the dimensions simplify the complexity of conducting
research.
1. Purpose of Doing Research
If we ask someone why he or she is conducting a study, we might get a range of responses: “My boss
told me to do”; “It was a class assignment”; “I was curious.” There are almost as many reasons to do
research as there are researches. Yet the purposes of research may be organized into three groups based
on what the researcher is trying to accomplish – explore a new topic, describe a social phenomenon, or
explain why something occurs. Studies may have multiple purposes (e.g. both to explore and to
describe) but one purpose usually dominates.
a. Exploratory/Formulative Research
You may be exploring a new topic or issue in order to learn about it. If the issue was new or the
researcher has written little on it, you began at the beginning. This is called exploratory research. The
researcher’s goal is to formulate more precise questions that future research can answer. Exploratory
research may be the first stage in a sequence of studies. A researcher may need to know enough to
design and execute a second, more systematic and extensive study.
Initial research conducted to clarify the nature of the problem. When a researcher has a limited
amount of experience with or knowledge about a research issue, exploratory research is useful
preliminary step that helps ensure that a more rigorous, more conclusive future study will not begin with
an inadequate understanding of the nature of the management problem. The findings discovered
through exploratory research would the researchers to emphasize learning more about the particulars of
the findings in subsequent conclusive studies.
Exploratory research rarely yields definitive answers. It addresses the “what” question: “what is this
social activity really about?” It is difficult to conduct because there are few guidelines to follow.
Specifically there could be a number of goals of exploratory research.
Goals of Exploratory Research:
1. Become familiar with the basic facts, setting, and concerns;
2. Develop well grounded picture of the situation;
3. Develop tentative theories, generate new ideas, conjectures, or hypotheses;
4. Determine the feasibility of conducting the study;
5. Formulate questions and refine issues for more systematic inquiry; and
6. Develop techniques and a sense of direction for future research.
7. Test a theory’s predictions or principles
2. The Uses of Research
Some researchers focus on using research to advance general knowledge, whereas others use it to solve
specific problems. Those who seek an understanding of the fundamental nature of social reality are
engaged in basic research (also called academic research or pure research or fundamental research).
Applied researchers, by contrast, primarily want to apply and tailor knowledge to address a specific
practical issue. They want to answer a policy question or solve a pressing social and economic problem.
a. Basic Research
Basic research advances fundamental knowledge about the human world. It focuses on refuting or
supporting theories that explain how this world operates, what makes things happen, why social
relations are a certain way, and why society changes. Basic research is the source of most new scientific
ideas and ways of thinking about the world. It can be exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory; however,
explanatory research is the most common.
Basic research generates new ideas, principles and theories, which may not be immediately utilized;
though are the foundations of modern progress and development in different fields. Today’s computers
could not exist without the pure research in mathematics conducted over a century ago, for which there
was no known practical application at that time.
Police officers trying to prevent delinquency or counselors of youthful offenders may see little relevance
to basic research on the question, “Why does deviant behavior occur?” Basic research rarely helps
practitioners directly with their everyday concerns. Nevertheless, it stimulates new ways of thinking
about deviance that have the potential to revolutionize and dramatically improve how practitioners deal
with a problem.
A new idea or fundamental knowledge is not generated only by basic research. Applied research, too,
can build new knowledge. Nonetheless, basic research is essential for nourishing the expansion of
knowledge. Researchers at the center of the scientific community conduct most of the basic research.
must decide on a specific type of research. Good researchers understand the advantages and
disadvantages of each type, although most end up specializing in one.
For classification of research we shall look from four dimensions:
1. The purpose of doing research;
2. The intended uses of research;
3. How it treats time i.e. the time dimension in research; and
4. The research (data collection) techniques used in it.
The four dimensions reinforce each other; that is, a purpose tends to go with certain techniques and
particular uses. Few studies are pure types, but the dimensions simplify the complexity of conducting
research.
1. Purpose of Doing Research
If we ask someone why he or she is conducting a study, we might get a range of responses: “My boss
told me to do”; “It was a class assignment”; “I was curious.” There are almost as many reasons to do
research as there are researches. Yet the purposes of research may be organized into three groups based
on what the researcher is trying to accomplish – explore a new topic, describe a social phenomenon, or
explain why something occurs. Studies may have multiple purposes (e.g. both to explore and to
describe) but one purpose usually dominates.
a. Exploratory/Formulative Research
You may be exploring a new topic or issue in order to learn about it. If the issue was new or the
researcher has written little on it, you began at the beginning. This is called exploratory research. The
researcher’s goal is to formulate more precise questions that future research can answer. Exploratory
research may be the first stage in a sequence of studies. A researcher may need to know enough to
design and execute a second, more systematic and extensive study.
Initial research conducted to clarify the nature of the problem. When a researcher has a limited
amount of experience with or knowledge about a research issue, exploratory research is useful
preliminary step that helps ensure that a more rigorous, more conclusive future study will not begin with
an inadequate understanding of the nature of the management problem. The findings discovered
through exploratory research would the researchers to emphasize learning more about the particulars of
the findings in subsequent conclusive studies.
Exploratory research rarely yields definitive answers. It addresses the “what” question: “what is this
social activity really about?” It is difficult to conduct because there are few guidelines to follow.
Specifically there could be a number of goals of exploratory research.
Goals of Exploratory Research:
1. Become familiar with the basic facts, setting, and concerns;
2. Develop well grounded picture of the situation;
3. Develop tentative theories, generate new ideas, conjectures, or hypotheses;
4. Determine the feasibility of conducting the study;
5. Formulate questions and refine issues for more systematic inquiry; and
6. Develop techniques and a sense of direction for future research.
7. Test a theory’s predictions or principles
2. The Uses of Research
Some researchers focus on using research to advance general knowledge, whereas others use it to solve
specific problems. Those who seek an understanding of the fundamental nature of social reality are
engaged in basic research (also called academic research or pure research or fundamental research).
Applied researchers, by contrast, primarily want to apply and tailor knowledge to address a specific
practical issue. They want to answer a policy question or solve a pressing social and economic problem.
a. Basic Research
Basic research advances fundamental knowledge about the human world. It focuses on refuting or
supporting theories that explain how this world operates, what makes things happen, why social
relations are a certain way, and why society changes. Basic research is the source of most new scientific
ideas and ways of thinking about the world. It can be exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory; however,
explanatory research is the most common.
Basic research generates new ideas, principles and theories, which may not be immediately utilized;
though are the foundations of modern progress and development in different fields. Today’s computers
could not exist without the pure research in mathematics conducted over a century ago, for which there
was no known practical application at that time.
Police officers trying to prevent delinquency or counselors of youthful offenders may see little relevance
to basic research on the question, “Why does deviant behavior occur?” Basic research rarely helps
practitioners directly with their everyday concerns. Nevertheless, it stimulates new ways of thinking
about deviance that have the potential to revolutionize and dramatically improve how practitioners deal
with a problem.
A new idea or fundamental knowledge is not generated only by basic research. Applied research, too,
can build new knowledge. Nonetheless, basic research is essential for nourishing the expansion of
knowledge. Researchers at the center of the scientific community conduct most of the basic research.
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