Q1 Types of Research

TYPES OF RESEARCH
The basic types of research are as follows:
(i) 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. In social science and business research we quite
often use Research Methodology: An Introduction 3 the term Ex post facto research for
descriptive research studies. 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 ex post facto 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. Ex post facto studies also include attempts by
researchers to discover causes even when they cannot control the variables. The methods
of research utilized in descriptive research are survey methods of all kinds, including
comparative and correlational methods. 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.
(ii) Applied vs. Fundamental: Research can either be applied (or action) research or
fundamental (to basic or pure) research. Applied research aims at finding a solution for
an immediate problem facing a society or an industrial/business organisation, whereas
fundamental research is mainly concerned with generalisations and with the formulation
of a theory. “Gathering knowledge for knowledge’s sake is termed ‘pure’ or ‘basic’
research.”4 Research concerning some natural phenomenon or relating to pure
mathematics are examples of fundamental research. Similarly, research studies,
concerning human behaviour carried on with a view to make generalisations about
human behaviour, are also examples of fundamental research, but research aimed at
certain conclusions (say, a solution) facing a concrete social or business problem is an
example of applied research. Research to identify social, economic or political trends
that may affect a particular institution or the copy research (research to find out whether
certain communications will be read and understood) or the marketing research or
evaluation research are examples of applied research. Thus, the central aim of applied
research is to discover a solution for some pressing practical problem, whereas basic
research is directed towards finding information that has a broad base of applications and
thus, adds to the already existing organized body of scientific knowledge.
(iii) Quantitative vs. Qualitative: Quantitative research is based on the measurement of

quantity or amount. It is applicable to phenomena that can be expressed in terms of
quantity. Qualitative research, on the other hand, is concerned with qualitative
phenomenon, i.e., phenomena relating to or involving quality or kind. For instance, when
we are interested in investigating the reasons for human behaviour (i.e., why people
think or do certain things), we quite often talk of ‘Motivation Research’, an important
type of qualitative research. This type of research aims at discovering the underlying
motives and desires, using in depth interviews for the purpose. Other techniques of such
research are word association tests, sentence completion tests, story completion tests and
similar other projective techniques. Attitude or opinion research i.e., research designed to
find out how people feel or what they think about a particular subject or institution is
also qualitative research. Qualitative research is specially important in the behavioural
sciences where the aim is to discover the underlying motives of human behaviour.
Through such research we can analyse the various factors which motivate people to
behave in a particular manner or which make people like or dislike a particular thing. It
may be stated, however, that to apply qualitative research in practice is relatively a
difficult job and therefore, while doing such research, one should seek guidance from
experimental psychologists.
(iv) 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. We can also call it as experimental type of research. In such a research it
is necessary to get at facts firsthand, at their source, and actively to go about doing
certain things to stimulate the production of desired information. In such a research, the
researcher must first provide himself with a working hypothesis or guess as to the
probable results. He then works to get enough facts (data) to prove or disprove his
hypothesis. He then sets up experimental designs which he thinks will manipulate the
persons or the materials concerned so as to bring forth the desired information. Such
research is thus characterised by the experimenter’s control over the variables under
study and his deliberate manipulation of one of them to study its effects. Empirical
research is appropriate when proof is sought that certain variables affect other variables
in some way. Evidence gathered through experiments or empirical studies is today
considered to be the most powerful support possible for a given hypothesis

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TYPES OF RESEARCH

The basic types of research are as follows:

(iii) Quantitative vs. Qualitative: Quantitative research is based on the measurement of

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