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Home » Education » What is the Difference Between Explanatory and Exploratory Research
The main difference between explanatory and exploratory research is that explanatory research explains why certain phenomena work in the way that they do, whereas exploratory research explores and investigates a problem that is not clearly defined.
Explanatory and exploratory research are two types of research that are important in analyzing problems. A researcher conducts exploratory research when he or she has just begun researching and wants to understand and explore the topic generally. A researcher will use explanatory research when he or she wants to explain why a certain phenomenon happens.
1. What is Explanatory Research – Definition, Features, Types 2. What is Exploratory Research – Definition, Features 3. Difference Between Explanatory vs Exploratory Research – Comparison of Key Differences
Explanatory research is an attempt to explain why certain phenomena work in the way that they do. We use the term explanatory research to identify research studies that answer this ‘why question’. This type of research study attempts to link different ideas to understand the nature of cause-and-effect relationships. In other words, explanatory research analyzes specific problems and explains the patterns of relationships between variables. However, it’s important to know that most research studies start from exploratory research, descriptive research, and then explanatory research.
For example, exploratory research will explore the general phenomenon of students failing an exam; descriptive research will describe how many students have failed the exam, while explanatory research will analyze why students failed the exam. Similarly, if someone says they are carrying out an explanatory study on student’s addiction to smartphones, that study will mainly explain the reasons behind students’ addiction or factors that contribute to the addiction.
The most common types of explanatory research involve in-depth interviews, literature research, case studies , and focus group research. Interviews usually involve an expert in the field who can explain the phenomena under investigation. Literature research, on the other hand, involves searching information from journal articles , newspapers, and other relevant sources.
Exploratory research, as its name suggests, is an attempt to explore and investigate a problem that is not clearly defined. It merely explores the research problem and does not offer final or conclusive solutions to existing problems. In this type of research, the researcher starts with general ideas to get an idea about how to best approach the research subjects, what methods to use, and what type of data to gather. Researchers usually conduct this type of research when they want to test the feasibility of conducting an extensive study on a particular topic. This type of research is typically conducted for problems at a preliminary stage. Furthermore, in this type of research, the researcher should be willing to change his direction according to new insights or data he gains.
There are different types of exploratory research methods. Primary research methods involve surveys, polls, interviews, focus groups, and observations, whereas secondary research methods involve online research, literature research and case study research. Overall exploratory research studies do not have a proper structure and involve several general steps, including identifying the problem, creating the hypothesis, and further research.
Explanatory research is a type of research that attempts to explain why certain phenomena work in the way that they do. Exploratory research, on the other hand, is a type of research that attempts to explore and investigate a problem that is not clearly defined.
While explanatory research links different ideas to understand the nature of cause-and-effect relationships in order to explain why certain phenomena occur, exploratory research explores the research problem but does not offer final or conclusive solutions to existing problems.
Explanatory research is usually conducted after exploratory research and descriptive research, whereas exploratory research is conducted at the preliminary stage.
1. DeCarlo, Matthew. “ 7.1 Types of Research .” Scientific Inquiry in Social Work, Open Social Work Education. 2. Consultores, Bastis. “ The Importance of Explanatory Research .” Online Tesis.
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The way researchers conduct their studies has advanced in recent years. New methodologies have emerged that now provide a better view of the population and their behavior. Explanatory, descriptive, and exploratory research are the three most popular types of research among researchers.
Even though these techniques may sound similar to you, they differ significantly in a number of ways. Each of these research types serves a specific function and has a specific application. Therefore how you plan the research project will be heavily influenced by this choice.
Today we will examine the difference between exploratory, descriptive, and explanatory research types. We will primarily focus on explanatory and exploratory research and look at their key examples. But before diving deep into their differences, let us try to understand the meaning of these research types.
Table of Contents
The explanatory research method tries to explain the phenomenon that is being studied. This type of research essentially answers the question of ‘why.’ It uses different ideas and concepts to establish a cause-and-effect relationship . The relationship highlights the factors and causes behind the occurrence of a particular incident. It helps us identify the problems that need to be solved.
This research method is used when a specific phenomenon is observed and defined. Then the explanatory research tries to discover why and how the phenomenon happened. It tests the already established hypothesis.
Largely, this type of research uses quantitative data. The data used is secondary in nature as it is not collected from a primary or direct source.
Exploratory research is a type of early-stage study. It aims to analyze and explore an issue that still needs to be defined. Very little to no prior literature is available to guide the research’s direction in the chosen research topic.
This preliminary research method tries to find and develop the most efficient process , data collection procedure, and analytical tools. However, it does not offer any definite conclusions or findings.
This research technique evaluates if a certain phenomenon is capable of further investigation in terms of its scope and feasibility. It requires a comprehensive inquiry. Such exploratory research serves as a foundation for later research as well.
One of the most confusing questions frequently asked is: Is exploratory research qualitative or quantitative?
Since exploratory research aims to develop fresh hypotheses and ideas that can direct future studies, it typically uses qualitative data collection methods. However, quantitative data collection methods, like surveys, can also be used in exploratory research to collect primary information that can help future research.
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When research is concerned with describing a phenomenon and its characteristics, the descriptive research method is used. It is very popular in market research for describing the features of a target population.
This type of research aims to describe patterns. Qualitative and quantitative both types of data can be used in this research methodology. An example of descriptive research can be a study that describes the demographic features of a particular population.
Now let us look at the major differences between explanatory and exploratory research.
Explanatory research is conducted when the phenomenon is defined and the hypothesis is already established. This is the latter phase of the research. On the other hand, exploratory research is the initial phase where a new phenomenon is being observed and explored.
The exploratory research does not have any strict framework or structure. You can choose whichever method suits you best. However, the explanatory research method is very systematic and structured in a proper manner.
It is very much possible that the exploratory theory may not provide any definite conclusion or result. However, explanatory research provides answers by connecting multiple data points to independent variables.
Both these techniques use different research methods as their objectives are different. Explanatory research moves forward by collecting data that confirms or contradicts a preconceived hypothesis, whereas exploratory research employs questioning mechanisms to uncover the best practices.
Assume that a researcher wants to study caffeine’s effect on adults’ sleep quality. They randomly select subjects for their experiment. The selected sample had to drink either a caffeinated or a non-caffeinated beverage before bed every day.
The researcher leverages a standardized questionnaire to assess the participants’ sleep quality. The study aims to demonstrate a causal link between coffee consumption and sleep quality.
Now suppose that researchers want to study why people buy a particular coffee brand. They will collect data from coffee consumers through different methods to explore their attitudes and opinion toward different coffee labels. The study aims to collect data and pinpoint potential research questions or hypotheses in this research scenario.
Apart from their differences, there are some similarities between exploratory and explanatory research as well. The most prominent similarity between the two is that both use scientific data collection methods and scientific analysis. Additionally, both exploratory and explanatory research can result in new research questions or hypotheses that can direct future investigations and advance our understanding of a subject.
You must first understand your exact research question, the nature of the phenomena being studied, and the resources you have at your disposal. These will help you determine which research technique can be a better fit based on your goals. Ultimately, the type of research methodology to choose can have a grave impact on your overall research process.
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In fact, descriptive research has many useful applications, and you probably rely on findings from descriptive research without even being aware that that is what you are doing. See Table 3.1 for examples. Explanatory Research. The third type of research, explanatory research, seeks to answer "why" questions.
Exploratory research is one which aims at providing insights into and an understanding of the problem faced by the researcher. Descriptive research, on the other hand, aims at describing something, mainly functions and characteristics. The research design is defined as a framework for carrying out research activities in different fields of study.
Differences Between Exploratory and Explanatory Research. In summary, exploratory research is used to gain a deeper understanding of a research problem, while explanatory research is used to explain the relationship between variables or to test hypotheses. Both types of research are important and complement each other in the research process.
Descriptive research aims to provide a representative snapshot of a larger population, allowing for generalizations and predictions. Exploratory research, on the other hand, focuses on generating insights and hypotheses that can be further tested and refined. Its findings are often more specific and context-dependent.
You can also create a mixed methods research design that has elements of both. Descriptive research vs experimental research. Descriptive research gathers data without controlling any variables, while experimental research manipulates and controls variables to determine cause and effect.
Explanatory vs. exploratory research. It can be easy to confuse explanatory research with exploratory research. If you're in doubt about the relationship between exploratory and explanatory research, just remember that exploratory research lays the groundwork for later explanatory research. Exploratory research questions often begin with ...
Exploratory research is a methodology approach that investigates research questions that have not previously been studied in depth. Exploratory research is often qualitative and primary in nature. However, a study with a large sample conducted in an exploratory manner can be quantitative as well. It is also often referred to as interpretive ...
16. Exploration, Description, Explanation. As you can see, there is much to think about and decisions to be made as you begin to think about your research question and your research project. Something else you will need to consider in the early stages is whether your research will be exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory.
You can also create a mixed methods research design that has elements of both. Descriptive vs experimental. Descriptive research gathers data without controlling any variables, while experimental research manipulates and controls variables to determine cause and effect. Do you want to identify characteristics, patterns, and correlations or test ...
In fact, descriptive research has many useful applications, and you probably rely on findings from descriptive research without even being aware that that is what you are doing. See Table 3.1 for examples. Explanatory research. The third type of research, explanatory research, seeks to answer "why" questions. In this case, the researcher is ...
Exploratory vs explanatory research. It can be easy to confuse exploratory research with explanatory research. To understand the relationship, it can help to remember that exploratory research lays the groundwork for later explanatory research. Exploratory research investigates research questions that have not been studied in depth. The ...
Key Takeaways. Exploratory research is usually conducted when a researcher has just begun an investigation and wishes to understand the topic generally. Descriptive research is research that aims to describe or define the topic at hand. Explanatory research is research that aims to explain why particular phenomena work in the way that they do.
Explanatory research is a type of research that aims to uncover the underlying causes and relationships between different variables. It seeks to explain why a particular phenomenon occurs and how it relates to other factors. This type of research is typically used to test hypotheses or theories and to establish cause-and-effect relationships.
Explanatory research: definition. Explanatory research is a technique used to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying reasons for, causes of, and relationships behind a particular phenomenon that has yet to be extensively studied. Researchers use this method to understand why and how a particular phenomenon occurs the way it does.
Explanatory vs exploratory research. It can be easy to confuse explanatory research with exploratory research. If you're in doubt about the relationship between exploratory and explanatory research, just remember that exploratory research lays the groundwork for later explanatory research. ... Descriptive research means observing and ...
Attrition refers to participants leaving a study. It always happens to some extent—for example, in randomized controlled trials for medical research. Differential attrition occurs when attrition or dropout rates differ systematically between the intervention and the control group.As a result, the characteristics of the participants who drop out differ from the characteristics of those who ...
Exploratory research is unstructured with no pre-planned design for analysis and is generally filled up by either descriptive or explanatory research. Exploratory research is conducted by first ...
Key Takeaways. Exploratory research is usually conducted when a researcher has just begun an investigation and wishes to understand the topic generally. Descriptive research aims to describe or define the topic at hand. Explanatory research is aims to explain why particular phenomena work in the way that they do.
Face validity and content validity are similar in that they both evaluate how suitable the content of a test is. The difference is that face validity is subjective, and assesses content at surface level.. When a test has strong face validity, anyone would agree that the test's questions appear to measure what they are intended to measure.. For example, looking at a 4th grade math test ...
by Hasa. 4 min read. The main difference between explanatory and exploratory research is that explanatory research explains why certain phenomena work in the way that they do, whereas exploratory research explores and investigates a problem that is not clearly defined. Explanatory and exploratory research are two types of research that are ...
The official definition says that exploratory research is the initial investigation of a hypothetical or theoretical idea of the phenomena you observe. As the name implies, in exploratory research, the primary idea is to explore. Typically, this sort of study moves in both directions. A well-defined area of inquiry can be applied to a newly ...
This chapter assesses descriptive, explanatory, and interpretive approaches. 'Description', 'explanation', and 'interpretation' are distinct stages of the research process. Description ...
Explanatory Research vs Exploratory Research. Now let us look at the major differences between explanatory and exploratory research. Different Phases of Study; Explanatory research is conducted when the phenomenon is defined and the hypothesis is already established. This is the latter phase of the research.