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  • Essay / Research Methodology: Exploratory, Descriptive and Explanatory

    Exploratory research is defined as initial research into a hypothetical or theoretical idea. This is where a researcher has an idea or has observed something and seeks to understand more about it. An exploratory research project is an attempt to lay a foundation that will lead to future studies or to determine whether what is observed can be explained by a currently existing theory. Most often, exploratory research lays the foundation for future research. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay Exploratory research can take two broad forms: either a new topic or a new angle. New angles can come from new ways of see things. , either from a theoretical point of view or a new way of measuring something. For example, computers have made it possible to observe large populations. Old experiments can now involve thousands of people from all over the world instead of a few people at the local station.Descriptive ResearchOnce the basics are established, the newly explored area needs more information. The next step is descriptive research, defined as an attempt to explore and explain while providing additional information about a topic. This is where research attempts to describe what is happening in more detail, filling in the missing parts and broadening our understanding. This is also where as much information as possible is collected instead of making assumptions or building models to predict the future – the “what” and “how” rather than the “why”. Explanatory research is carried out to help us find the problem that has not been studied in depth before. Explanatory research is not used to provide us with conclusive evidence but helps us understand the problem more effectively. When conducting research, the researcher must be able to adapt to new data and new knowledge that he discovers as he studies the topic. It is not intended to provide definitive and conclusive answers to the research questions but allows the researcher to explore the research with a varying level of depth. A deductive approach involves “developing one or more hypotheses based on existing theory and then designing a research strategy to test the hypothesis.” It has been stated that “the deductive method means reasoning from the particular to the general. If a causal relationship or connection appears to be implied by a particular theory or case example, this may be true in many cases. A deductive design could test to see if this relationship or connection actually occurred under more general circumstances.” The deductive approach can be explained by means of hypotheses, which can be derived from the propositions of the theory. In other words, the deductive approach involves deriving conclusions from premises or propositions. The inductive approach, also known as inductive reasoning, begins with observations and theories are proposed towards the end of the research process as a result of observations. Inductive research “involves finding patterns from observation and developing explanations – theories – for those patterns through a series of hypotheses.” No theory or hypothesis would apply to inductive studies at the beginning of the research and the researcher is free to change the focus of the study once the research process begins. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized item now from.