Types of Research Design

Knowledge of what the different forms of research are and what each one focuses on can help you organise your study better, apply the best methodology and procedures, and explain your findings to other researchers and supervisors.

Research is of different types, which are classified based on the goals of the research study, the research objectives and data availability. It is crucial to note that a research project will not be limited to one type of research but will likely use several different types. 

In the next video, you will learn more about the different types of research from Chris.

In this video, you learnt that research can be classified into two categories based on the goals to be achieved. These include the following:

1. Basic research: Research of this type is aimed at gaining a greater understanding of a subject, a phenomenon or a basic law of nature. The goal is to expand knowledge instead of solving a specific problem, for example, research to study the emotional state that makes a person most likely to purchase a product or service.
2. Applied research: Research of this type addresses a specific and practical problem that affects a person or a group of people. The 'applied' approach to research is used in fields such as business, medicine and education. The broad aims of applied research range from identifying solutions to improve health and solving business challenges to developing new technologies, for example, research to determine the most effective types of advertising, which evokes the emotions of people to purchase.

Research can also be classified based on research objectives. The categories, in this case, include the following:

1. Descriptive research: Research of this type aims to define the features of a particular phenomenon without necessarily examining the causes that produce it, for example, research to determine the number of people purchasing a product.
2. Causal research: Research of this type determines the cause-and-effect relationship between two variables. Such studies are mostly used to determine the cause of specific behaviour, for example, research to determine the region in which people are more likely to purchase a product. Causal research can subsequently be categorised as follows:
   1. Exploratory research: Exploratory research is used to conduct preliminary research on a topic that is not yet well known or investigated adequately; for example: Which are the data sets that correlate to low or high sales?
   2. Predictive research: Predictive research aims to develop theories/predictions from existing phenomena/observations in order to forecast something that has never been tried, tested or proposed; for example: What can be predicted before venturing into new territory? 

Research can also be divided into two categories based on available information/data. These include the following:

1. Qualitative research: Qualitative research is frequently employed in the social sciences to gather, compare and analyse information, and it is utilised in procedures such as interviews, surveys, records and participant observations, for example, research to analyse the effect of sleep deprivation on the mood of a person.
2. Quantitative research: Quantitative research studies a phenomenon by collecting quantitative data and measuring it with mathematical, statistical and computer-aided methods, for example, research to understand the time spent by a doctor on catering to a patient from the time they enter the hospital.

For an effective research conclusion, it is important to understand the type of research undertaken in order to determine the method of conducting it. 

So, now that you have learnt about the different types of research, in the next segment, you will learn what the theoretical framework is and how it helps you to proceed forward in your research.