Test Your Knowledge on Research Methods

Types of Research

• Descriptive research describes the current state of affairs and cannot control variables, while analytical research uses existing information to critically evaluate material.
• Applied research aims to solve immediate social problems, while fundamental research is concerned with generalizations and formulating theories.
• Pure or basic research gathers knowledge for knowledge's sake, while applied research seeks a solution to a specific problem.
• Quantitative research measures quantity or amount, while qualitative research explores qualitative phenomena, such as human behavior and motivations.
• Qualitative research is important in behavioral sciences to discover underlying motives and desires.
• Conceptual research is related to abstract ideas or theories, while empirical research relies on observation or experience and can be experimental.
• Empirical research involves getting firsthand facts to prove or disprove a hypothesis, and the experimenter controls variables to study their effects.
• Empirical research is appropriate for proving that certain variables affect others.
• Evidence gathered through experiments or empirical studies is considered the most powerful support for a hypothesis.
• Researchers must have a working hypothesis and manipulate variables to stimulate desired information in empirical research.
• Research can be categorized into descriptive vs. analytical, applied vs. fundamental, quantitative vs. qualitative, and conceptual vs. empirical.
• The type of research chosen depends on the specific problem or question being investigated.