TYPES OF RESEARCH

TYPES OF RESEARCH

Applied vs Fundamental Research

Applied Research or Action Research is carried out to find solution to a real life problem requiring an action or policy decision.                                 Fundamental Research which is also known as basic or pure research is undertaken for the sake of knowledge without any intention to apply it in practice.  It is undertaken out of intellectual curiosity and is not necessarily problem-oriented.

Descriptive vs Analytical Research             

Descriptive Research is a fact finding investigation which is aimed at describing the characteristics of individual, situation or a group (or) describing the state of affairs as it exists at present.

            Analytical Research is primarily concerned with testing hypothesis and specifying and interpreting relationships, by analyzing the facts or information already available.

Descriptive study may employ any of or all the methods of data collection such as interview, questionnaire, observation, tests and cumulative record cards. In the descriptive study the researcher must be careful to make a note of the bias and extravagance that may creep in at every stage of the study-formulating the objectives of the study; designing the methods of data collection; selecting the sample; collecting, processing and analyzing the data; and reporting the findings.

Quantitative vs Qualitative Research                                 

Quantitative Research is employed for measuring the quantity or amount of a particular phenomenon by the use of statistical analysis.

Qualitative Research is a non-quantitative type of analysis which is aimed at finding out the quality of a particular phenomenon.

Conceptual vs Empirical Research

Conceptual Research is generally used by philosophers and thinkers to develop new concepts or to reinterpret existing ones.                                

Empirical Research is a data based research which depends on experience or observation alone. It is aimed at coming up with conclusions without due regard for system and theory.

One-time Research – Research confined to a single time period.

Longitudinal Research – Research carried on over several time periods.

Diagnostic Research – It is also called clinical research which aims at identifying the causes of a problem, frequency with which it occur and the possible solutions for it.

Exploratory Research – It is the preliminary study of an unfamiliar problem, about which the researcher has little or no knowledge.  It is aimed to gain familiarity with the problem, to generate new ideas or to make a precise formulation of the problem.  Hence it is also known as formulative research.

The following are the three approaches to the exploratory study.

(1)   The Survey of literature – A review of the literature helps to identify the hypothesis which may serve as a guide for further investigation.

(2)   The Experience Survey – A small portion of existing knowledge and experience is put into written form. Everyday experience provides opportunity to obtain information required to formulate hypothesis.

(3)   Case Study- The focus may be on individuals or situations or groups or communities. The method of study may lay stress on the examination of the existing records. It may be unstructured interviewing or participant observation or some other approach.

Experimental Research – It is designed to assess the effect of one particular variable on a phenomenon by keeping the other variables constant or controlled.                           

Historical Research – It is the study of past records and other information sources, with a view to find the origin and development of a phenomenon and to discover the trends in the past, in order to understand the present and to anticipate the future.

Comparative Research

This research aims at comparing institutions, practices, concepts, trends in economic variable, economics of different countries and the like over a period of time. For example, a study of the financial performance of two cotton textile mills in terms of profitability over a period of time is comparative study.

Before undertaking the comparative research the following precautions may be taken note of by the researcher.

(i)           Collect only necessary data which are useful for comparison.

(ii)         Collect only the existing factors and the non-existing factors are to be ignored.

(iii)       Draw correct conclusions free from bias.