Discuss
between exploratory and descriptive research designs.
Although research might initially seem like a simple
gathering of information, it is essential to understand different methods to be
an effective researcher. Exploratory and descriptive research are important
elements in fields such as marketing, technological and educational research
and the social sciences.
Researchers employ
exploratory research when little is known about the topic and previous theories
or ideas do not apply. For example, if you wanted to study how to get students
to use the computer lab in a college environment, you might first have to do
exploratory research to figure out which students might need the lab and what
appeals to this demographic. Exploratory research clarifies problems, gathers
data and creates initial hypothesis and theories about subjects. The primary
point of exploratory research is to give researchers pertinent information and
help them to form initial hypotheses about the subject.
Descriptive Research
Descriptive research is
done with a specific research question in mind. It gives a set view of the
subject, population, market segment or problem. An example of descriptive
research would be a report that provides an age and gender breakdown of the
users of a particular online service. Descriptive research provides research
questions, populations or methods of analysis before the research is started.
In marketing, it often consists of longitudinal studies, which study the
behavior of individuals over time, and cross-sectional studies, which examine
many populations at one specific time.
How Exploratory and
Descriptive Research Work Together
Exploratory research
must happen first for descriptive research to be effective. The latter
organizes the data and hypotheses found during the exploratory process.
Researchers must spend the necessary time in exploratory research before moving
on to the descriptive phase.
Conclusion
Both exploratory and
descriptive research have their place in forming a better understanding of a
problem or issue, and understanding the difference between the two can make
your research more targeted and effective.
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