TYPES OF RESEARCH

Research can be classified into many different types. Some important ones are discussed in the following sections. 

• Basic/Fundamental/Pure Research is conducted to develop or refine theory, not to solve immediate practical problems. It involves developing and testing theories and hypotheses that are intellectually challenging to the researcher but may or may not have practical application at the present time or in the future. The knowledge produced through pure research is sought in order to add to the existing body of research methods. While this type of research contributes to our understanding of the human mind and behavior, it does not necessarily help solve immediate practical problems. 

• Applied Research is conducted to find solutions to specific, practical problems; for policy formulation, administration and understanding of a phenomenon. It is interested in finding solutions to problems that impact daily life. 

Applied research can be carried out by academic or industrial institutions. Often, an academic institution such as a university will have a specific applied research program funded by an industrial partner interested in that program. 

• Most researches in social sciences are applied in nature. 

• Quantitative Research. The purpose of quantitative research is to generalize about or control phenomena. 

An important assumption that underlies quantitative research is that the world in which we live and carry out our research is relatively stable, uniform and coherent; therefore it can be measured, understood and classified. 

Key features of qualitative research include defining the problem or question to be studied and formulating hypotheses predicting the results of the research before the study begins; controlling contextual factors that might influence the results of the study; collecting data from samples of participants; and using numerical, statistical approaches to analyse the collected data. 

Quantitative Research approaches are intended to describe current conditions, investigate relationships, and cause-effect phenomena. 

• Qualitative Research. The purpose of qualitative research is to provide in-depth descriptions of unique settings and people. 

An important belief that underlies qualitative research is that the world is neither stable, coherent, nor uniform, and therefore, ‘truth’ as sought by qualitative researchers cannot be obtained because perspectives and understandings differ from group to group. 

Qualitative methods involve the collection and analysis of primarily nonnumerical data obtained from observation, interviews, tape recordings, documents and the like. 

In recent years, qualitative research methods have become popular and have attracted many advocates. 

Qualitative approaches include a number of methods such as ethnology, ethnomethodology, case study, phenomenology and symbolic interaction. The focus of these methods is on deep description of aspects of people’s everyday perspectives and contexts. 

Both Quantitative and Qualitative approaches of research use methods (quantitative/qualitative) to describe what is. Both these approaches collect data to describe the current status of the subject of research. Thus, both these approaches are descriptive in nature and are also called Descriptive Researches. 

• Historical Research describes what was. It is a form of qualitative research that attempts interpreting past events. The process involves investigating, recording, analysing and interpreting the events of the past for the purpose of discovering generalizations that are helpful in understanding the past and the present and, to a limited extent, in anticipating the future. 

Historians work with data that already are available in a variety of forms. Primary Sources of data are provided by first person eyewitnesses or authors. They are reported by an actual observer or participant in an event. Documents, Remains or Relics and Oral Testimony are examples of Primary Sources of historical data. 

Non-first-person accounts are called Secondary Sources of historical data. These are accounts of an event not actually witnessed by the reporter. Because of the distortion in passing on information, historians prefer to work with primary sources of data. 

External Criticism is used to assess the authenticity of data. Internal Criticism is used to assess the truthfulness of data. 

Although Historical Research usually employs qualitative techniques, it can also use quantitative techniques. 

• Experimental Research seeks to investigate cause-effect relationships. It describes what will be when certain variables (factors/quantities which are liable to change) are carefully controlled or manipulated. The focus is on variable relationships. 

The experimental researcher controls the selection of participants by choosing them from a single pool and assigning them at random to different causal treatments. Deliberate manipulation is always a part of the experimental method. The researcher also controls contextual variables that might interfere with the study. 

Because of random selection and assigning of participants into different treatments, experimental research permits true cause-effect statements to be made. 

• Survey Research is a kind of descriptive research which is very popular in social sciences, humanities and education. In Survey Research, numerical data are collected to know the preferences, attitudes, practices, concerns, or interests of some group. Data are collected by self administered instruments such as questionnaires, opinionnaires, rating-scales, interviews etc. 

The decennial census is an example of Survey research. 

A major problem complicating Survey research and other descriptive researches is the failure of participants to return questionnaires or cooperate in interviews. 

• Correlational Research is a kind of quantitative descriptive research. It examines the degree of relationship that exists between two or more variables (Variables are factors/quantities which are liable to change; academic achievement, emotional intelligence, parental support, career choices, socioeconomic status, quality of life,etc. are examples of a few variables studied in social sciences, humanities and education). 

A correlation is a quantitative measure of the degree of correspondence between two or more variables (e.g., parental support and academic achievement). The degree of relationship is measured by a correlation coefficient. A correlation coefficient of + 1.00 indicates that two variables are highly related and a coefficient of .00 indicates that there is no relationship between the variables. 

If two variables are highly related, it does not necessarily mean that one is the cause of the other; there may be a third factor (variable) that ‘causes’ both the related variables. 

• Causal- Comparative Research is a kind of descriptive research that seeks to investigate cause and effect relations between two or more different programmes, methods, or groups. 

The activity thought to make a difference (the programme, method,or group) is called the causal factor, treatment, or independent variable. The effect is called the dependent variable. 

In most causal-comparative research studies, the researcher does NOT have control over causal factor because it already has occurred or cannot be manipulated. This makes cause-effect conclusions tenuous and tentative. 

Causal- Comparative research is similar to Ex-post-facto research (in which the researcher cannot manipulate the independent variable because it already has occurred in the past) and different from experimental research (in which true cause and effect statements can be made because the researcher can deliberately manipulate the causal factor/independent variable). 

Causal-comparative research is useful in those circumstances when it is impossible or unethical to manipulate the causal factor. 

The conclusion that, because two factors or variables go together, one must be the cause and other the effect, is termed as the post-hoc fallacy. For example, earned income as an effect of the number of years of education completed. Post-hoc fallacy is one of the most serious dangers of descriptive research that uses ex-post-facto and causal-comparative procedures.