SOME NOTES TO ORIENT YOU Harvard （一些笔记东方哈佛）.pdfVIP

RESEARCH METHODS: SOME NOTES TO ORIENT YOU Research Purpose The purpose of your research can be exploratory, descriptive, explanatory or policy- oriented. These categories are not mutually exclusive, they are a matter of emphasis. As any research study will change and develop over time, you may identify more than one purpose. These four types of research are discussed below. Exploratory Research Exploratory research might involve a literature search or conducting focus group interviews. The exploration of new phenomena in this way may help the researcher’s need for better understanding, may test the feasibility of a more extensive study, or determine the best methods to be used in a subsequent study. For these reasons, exploratory research is broad in focus and rarely provides definite answers to specific research issues. The objective of exploratory research is to identify key issues and key variables. For example, one outcome might be a better system of measurement for a specific variable. If you define your study as exploratory research, then you need to clearly define the objectives. Calling your report “exploratory” is not an excuse for lack of definition. EXAMPLE An example in the business environment might be an exploratory study of a new management technique in order to brief a management team. This would be a vital first step before deciding whether to embrace the technique. Descriptive Research As its name suggests, descriptive research seeks to provide an accurate description of observations of a phenomena. The object of the collection of census data is to accurately describe basic information about a national population at a particular point in time. The objective of much descriptive research is to map the terrain of a specific phenomenon.