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What is Research: De nition

A careful consideration of study regarding a particular concern

or problem using scienti c methods. According to the
American sociologist Earl Robert Babbie, “Research is a
systematic inquiry to describe, explain, predict, and control the
observed phenomenon. Research involves inductive and
deductive methods.”

Inductive research methods are used to analyze an observed

event. Deductive methods are used to verify the observed
event. Inductive approaches are associated with qualitative
research (https://www.questionpro.com/blog/qualitative-
market-research/) and deductive methods are more commonly
/
associated with quantitative research.
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(https://www.questionpro.com/blog/quantitative-market-
research/)

Research is conducted with a purpose to understand:

What do organizations or businesses really want to nd

out?

What are the processes that need to be followed to chase

the idea?

What are the arguments that need to be built around a

concept?

What is the evidence that will be required for people to

believe in the idea or concept?

Characteristics of research

1. A systematic approach must be followed for accurate

data. Rules and procedures are an integral part of the
process that set the objective. Researchers need to
practice ethics and a code of conduct while making
observations or drawing conclusions.

2. Research is based on logical reasoning and involves both

inductive and deductive methods.

3. The data or knowledge that is derived is in real time from

actual observations in natural settings.

4. There is an in-depth analysis of all data collected so that

there are no anomalies associated with it.

5. Research creates a path for generating new questions.

Existing data helps create more opportunities for
research.

6. Research is analytical in nature. It makes use of all the

available data so that there is no ambiguity in inference.

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 7. Accuracy is one of the most important aspects of
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research. The information that is obtained should be
accurate and true to its nature. For example, laboratories
provide a controlled environment to collect data.
Accuracy is measured in the instruments used, the
calibrations of instruments or tools, and the nal result of
the experiment.

What are the types of research?

Following are the types of research methods:

Basic research: A basic research de nition is data collected to

enhance knowledge. The main motivation is knowledge
expansion. It is a non-commercial research that doesn’t
facilitate in creating or inventing anything. For example: an
experiment to determine a simple fact.

Applied research: Applied research focuses on analyzing and

solving real-life problems. This type refers to the study that
helps solve practical problems using scienti c methods.
Studies play an important role in solving issues that impact
the overall well-being of humans. For example: nding a
speci c cure for a disease.

Problem oriented research: As the name suggests, problem-

oriented research is conducted to understand the exact nature
of a problem to nd out relevant solutions. The term
“problem” refers to multiple choices or issues when analyzing
a situation.

For example, revenue of a car company has decreased by 12%

in the last year. The following could be the probable causes:
there is no optimum production, poor quality of a product, no
advertising, or economic conditions.

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Problem solving research: This type of research is conducted
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by companies to understand and resolve their own problems.
The problem-solving method uses applied research to nd
solutions to the existing problems.

Qualitative research: Qualitative research 

(https://www.questionpro.com/blog/qualitative-market-
research/)is a process that is about inquiry. It helps create in-
depth understanding of problems or issues in their natural
settings. This is a non-statistical method.

Qualitative research is heavily dependent on the experience of

the researchers and the questions used to probe the sample.
The sample size
(https://www.questionpro.com/blog/determining-sample-
size/) is usually restricted to 6-10 people. Open-ended
questions (https://www.questionpro.com/open-ended-
questions.html) are asked in a manner that encourages
answers that lead to another question or group of questions.
The purpose of asking open-ended questions is to gather as
much information as possible from the sample.

The following are the methods used for qualitative research:

1. One-to-one interview

2. Focus groups

3. Ethnographic research

4. Content/Text Analysis

5. Case study research

Learn more: Qualitative Research Methods

(https://www.questionpro.com/blog/qualitative-research-
methods/)

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Quantitative research: Qualitative research
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(https://www.questionpro.com/blog/quantitative-research/) is
a structured way of collecting data and analyzing it to draw
conclusions. Unlike qualitative methods, this method uses a
computational and statistical process to collect and analyze
data. Quantitative data is all about numbers.

Quantitative research involves a larger population — more

people means more data. With more data to analyze, you can
obtain more accurate results. This method uses close-ended
questions  (https://www.questionpro.com/close-ended-
questions.html)because the researchers are typically looking
to gather statistical data.

Online surveys
(https://www.questionpro.com/tour/), questionnaires
(https://www.questionpro.com/tour/sample-questions.html),
and polls (https://www.questionpro.com/poll-
software.html) are preferable data collection tools used in
quantitative research. There are various methods of deploying
surveys or questionnaires.

Online surveys allow survey creators to reach large amounts of

people or smaller focus groups for different types of research
that meet different goals. Survey respondents can receive
surveys on mobile phones, in emails, or can simply use the
internet to access surveys.

Learn more: What is Quantitative Research?

(https://www.questionpro.com/blog/quantitative-research/)

What Is the Purpose of Research?

There are three purposes of research:

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 1. Exploratory: As the name suggests, exploratory research
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is conducted to explore a group of questions. The answers
and analytics may not offer a nal conclusion to the
perceived problem. It is conducted to handle new
problem areas which haven’t been explored before. This
exploratory process lays the foundation for more
conclusive research and data collection.

2. Descriptive: Descriptive research
(https://www.questionpro.com/blog/descriptive-
research/) focuses on expanding knowledge on current
issues through a process of data collection. Descriptive
studies are used to describe the behavior of a sample
population. In a descriptive study, only one variable is
required to conduct the study. The three main purposes
of descriptive research are describing, explaining, and
validating the ndings. For example, a study conducted to
know if top-level management leaders in the 21st century
possess the moral right to receive a huge sum of money
from the company pro t.

3. Explanatory:Explanatory research or causal research is

conducted to understand the impact of certain changes in
existing standard procedures. Conducting experiments is
the most popular form of casual research. For example, a
study conducted to understand the effect of rebranding
on customer loyalty.

To understand the characteristic of research design using

research purpose here is a comparative analysis:

Exploratory Descriptive Explanatory

Research Research Research

Research
Highly
approach Unstructured Structured
structured
used

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 Research Asking By using
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Asking research
conducted research research
questions
through questions hypotheses.

Early stages of Later stages of Later stages of

When is it
decision decision decision
conducted?
making making making

Learn More: Primary Research – Examples, Methods and

Purpose (https://www.questionpro.com/primary-
research.html)

Research method is de ned as the tools or instruments used

to accomplish the goals and attributes of a study. Think of the
methodology as a systematic process in which the tools or
instruments will be employed. There is no use of a tool if it is
not being used ef ciently.

Research begins by asking the right questions and choosing an

appropriate method to investigate the problem. After
collecting answers to your questions, you can analyze the
ndings or observations to draw appropriate conclusions.

When it comes to customers and market studies, the more

thorough your questions, the better. By thoroughly collecting
data from customers through surveys and questionnaires, you
get important insights into brand perception and product
needs. You can use this data to make smart decisions about
your marketing strategies to position your business effectively.

Types of research methods and research example

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Research methods are broadly classi ed as Qualitative

(https://www.questionpro.com/blog/qualitative-research-
methods/)and Quantitative
(https://www.questionpro.com/blog/quantitative-research/).

Both methods have distinctive properties and data collection

methods.

Qualitative Methods

Qualitative research
(https://www.questionpro.com/blog/qualitative-research-
methods/) is a method that collects data using conversational
methods. Participants are asked open-ended questions. The
responses collected are essentially non-numerical. This
method not only helps a researcher understand what
participants think but also why they think in a particular way.

Types of qualitative methods include:

One-to-one Interview: This interview is conducted with

one participant at a given point in time. One-to-one
interviews need a researcher to prepare questions in
advance. The researcher asks only the most important
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questions to the participant. This type of interview lasts
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anywhere between 20 minutes to half an hour. During this
time the researcher collects as many meaningful answers
as possible from the participants to draw inferences.

Focus Groups: Focus groups are small groups comprising

of around 6-10 participants who are usually experts in the
subject matter. A moderator is assigned to a focus group
who facilitates the discussion amongst the group
members. A moderator’s experience in conducting the
focus group plays an important role. An experienced
moderator can probe the participants by asking the
correct questions that will help them collect a sizable
amount of information related to the research.

Ethnographic Research: Ethnographic research is an in-

depth form of research where people are observed in
their natural environment without This method is
demanding due to the necessity of a researcher entering
a natural environment of other people. Geographic
locations can be a constraint as well. Instead of
conducting interviews, a researcher experiences the
normal setting and daily life of a group of people.

Text Analysis: Text analysis

(https://www.questionpro.com/tour/text-analysis.html) is
a little different from other qualitative methods as it is
used to analyze social constructs by decoding words
through any available form of documentation. The
researcher studies and understands the context in which
the documents are written and then tries to draw
meaningful inferences from it. Researchers today follow
activities on a social media platform to try and
understand patterns of thoughts.

Case Study: Case study research is used to study an

organization or an entity. This method is one of the most
valuable options for modern This type of research is used
in elds like the education sector, philosophical studies, /
 and psychological studies. This method involves a deep
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dive into ongoing research and collecting data.

Quantitative Research Methods

Quantitative (https://www.questionpro.com/blog/quantitative-
research/) methods deal with numbers and measurable forms.
It uses a systematic way of investigating events or data. It is
used to answer questions in terms of justifying relationships
with measurable variables to either explain, predict, or control
a phenomenon.

There are three methods that are often used by researchers:

Survey Research — The ultimate goal of survey research is

to learn about a large population by deploying a survey
(https://www.questionpro.com/tour/). Today, online
surveys (https://www.questionpro.com/tour/) are popular
as they are convenient and can be sent in an email or
made available on the internet. In this method, a
researcher designs a survey with the most relevant survey
questions (https://www.questionpro.com/article/survey-
question-answer-type.html) and distributes the survey.
Once the researcher receives responses, they summarize
them to tabulate meaningful ndings and data.

Descriptive Research — Descriptive research is a method

which identi es the characteristics of an observed
phenomenon and collects more information. This method
is designed to depict the participants in a very systematic
and accurate manner. In simple words, descriptive
research is all about describing the phenomenon,
observing it, and drawing conclusions from it.

Correlational Research— Correlational research

(https://www.questionpro.com/blog/correlational-
research/) examines the relationship between two or
more variables. Consider a researcher is studying a /
 correlation between cancer and married Married women
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have a negative correlation with cancer. In this example,
there are two variables: cancer and married women. When
we say negative correlation, it means women who are
married are less likely to develop cancer. However, it
doesn’t mean that marriage directly avoids cancer.

Identifying Research Methodology

To choose the appropriate types of research, you need to

clearly identify the objectives. Some objectives to take into
consideration for your business include:

Find out the needs of your clients.

Know their preferences and understand what is important

to them.

Find an appropriate way to make your customers aware of

your products and services.

Find ways to improve your products or services to suit the

needs of your customers.

After identifying what you need to know, you should ask what
research methods will offer you that information.

Organize your questions within the framework of the 7 Ps of

marketing that in uence your company – product, price,
promotion, place, people, processes, and physical tests.

A well-organized customer research
(https://www.questionpro.com/survey-templates/customer-
surveys/) process produces valid, accurate, reliable, timely,
and complete results. Results that rigorously re ect the
opinions and needs of your clients will help you grow your
sales and improve your operations. To obtain the results, you
need to establish and follow the processes that you have
detailed out for your organization:
/
Set your goals
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Consider the client’s objectives and de ne those that identify

with yours. Make sure that you set smart goals and objectives
(https://www.questionpro.com/blog/smart-objectives-and-
goals/). Do not presume the results of your surveys.

Plan your research

Good planning allows the use of creative and logical

approaches to select the methods that gather the most
accurate information. Your plan will be in uenced by the type
and complexity of the information you need, the skills of your
market research team, and how soon you need the
information. Your budget also plays a large role in your ability
to collect data.

Collect and collate your results

Make a list of how you are going to carry out the research
process, the data you need to collect, and collection methods.
This will help you keep track of your processes and make
sense of your ndings. It will also allow you to verify that your
research accurately re ects the opinions of your clients and
your market. Create a record table with:

The consumer research activity

The necessary data

The methods for data collection

The steps to follow for data analysis.

Remember, research is only valuable and useful when it is

valid, accurate, and reliable. Relying on imperfect research is
dangerous. Incorrect results can lead to customer churn

/
(https://www.questionpro.com/blog/customer-churn/) and a
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decrease in sales.

It is important to obtain information about how the collection

of customer information was carried out, and to ensure that
your data is:

Valid – founded, logical, rigorous, and impartial.

Accurate – free of errors and including required details.

Reliable – that can be reproduced by other people who

investigate in the same way.

Timely – current and collected within an appropriate time

frame.

Complete – includes all the data you need to support

your business decisions.

Analyze and understand your research

Analysis of the data can vary from simple and direct steps to
technical and complex processes. Adopt an approach, and
choose the method of data analysis
(https://www.questionpro.com/blog/data-analysis-simple-
and-complex-a-primer/) based on the methods you have
carried out.

Keep the ndings ready

Choose a spreadsheet that allows you to easily enter your

data. If you do not have a large amount of data, you should be
able to manage them with the use of basic tools available in
survey software. If you have collected more complete and
complex data, you may have to consider using speci c
programs or tools that will help you manage your data.

Review and interpret the information to draw conclusions

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Once you have gathered all the data, you can scan your
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information and interpret it to draw conclusions and make
informed decisions. You should review the data and then:

Identify the main trends

(https://www.questionpro.com/features/trend-
analysis.html) and issues, opportunities, and problems
you observe. Write a sentence describing each one.

Keep track of the frequency with which each of the main

ndings appears.

Make a list of your ndings from the most common to the

least common.

Evaluate a list of the strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities, and threats that have been identi ed in
a SWOT analysis
(https://www.questionpro.com/blog/swot-analysis-
example/).

Prepare conclusions and recommendations about your

research.

Review your goals before making any conclusions about your

research. Keep in mind how the process you have completed
and the data you have gathered help answer your questions.
Ask yourself if what your research revealed facilitates the
identi cation of your conclusions and recommendations.
Review your conclusions and, based on what you know now:

Choose some strategies that will help you improve your

business

Act on your strategies

Look for gaps in the information, and consider doing

additional research if necessary

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 Plan to review the results of the research, and consider
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ef cient strategies to analyze and dissect results for
interpretation.

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