Research Methods and Types: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Experimental Frameworks

Research

the acquisition of new knowledge through a purposive, organized, and designed program of activities, seeking to find answers to problems and generate new information for better understanding.

Basic research

is conducted to gain new knowledge.

Applied research

is conducted to find applications of knowledge.

Qualitative research

focuses on understanding individual experiences and perceptions.

Quantitative research

uses statistical and mathematical tools to quantify problems and derive results.

Weaknesses of quantitative research

not provide in-depth information, lacks comprehensive descriptions of human experiences, has less flexibility in study design, and self-reported data may be inaccurate.

Descriptive research

observes and reports on a phenomenon without experimental manipulation.

Correlational research

determines the nature of relationships between variables without looking into the cause.

Ex post facto research

infers causes of a phenomenon that has already occurred by comparing groups exposed to the presumed cause with those who are not.

Quasi-experimental research

establishes cause-and-effect relationships using intact groups, with limited experimental manipulation.

Experimental research

establishes cause-and-effect relationships using random assignment of individual subjects to treatment and control groups.

Five common kinds of quantitative research

descriptive, correlational, ex post facto, quasi-experimental, and experimental.