TYPES OF RESEARCH STUDIES

Design in which the
major emphasis is
on gaining ideas and
insights.

Hypotheses

A statement that
describes how two
or more variables are
related.

Types

literature
search

A search of popular
press (newspapers,
magazines, etc.),
trade literature,
academic literature,
or published
statistics from
research firms or
governmental
agencies for data
or insight into the
problem at hand.

depth
interviews

Interviews
with people
knowledgeable
about the general
subject being
investigated.

focus group

An interview
conducted among
a small number
of individuals
simultaneously.

case analysis

Intensive study of
selected examples of
the phenomenon of
interest

Descriptive research
is very common in business
and other aspects of life.
Describe some group
of people or other entities.

Purposes

To describe the characteristics
of certain groups
To determine the proportion
of people who behave in a certain way.
To make specific predictions.
To determine relationships between
variables.

Classification

Longitudinal

Continuous Panel
Discontinuous Panel

Cross-Sectional

Sample Survey

Forecasting the likelihood
of a similar situation
occurring elsewhere.

Generalize the analysis
by predicting certain
phenomena on basis of
hypothesized, general
relationships

"how", "why" and "where"
answers to current
events as well as
to similar events in
the future.

Describe the
Characteristics
Analyze
explain "Why"
"how"

Discovering and
measuring
causual relations
among them