Types of Research According to Purpose

 

Following are the different types of research on the basis of purpose.

1.         Basic Research

         Basic research concerns with generalization and the formulation of theory. It is initiated by curiosity or the researcher’s interest in a particular subject. This type of research is used to expand knowledge, not to create or invent something. Basic research lays the foundation for the applied research.

Strengths of Basic Research

• ·         Basic research is typically curiosity-driven.
• ·         Basic research frequently leads to new insights into the essence of phenomenon.
• ·         It is usually unpredictable in nature, in terms of its processes and outcomes.
• ·         It is the verifiable which makes scientific knowledge a firm kind of knowledge.

2.         Applied Research

Applied research is the implementation of theoretical study upon a problematic situation. It applies theories and facts to know about the nature of the problem and recommend solutions. This type of research is used to test and verify theories, discover facts, and give immediate answers to questions. It involves practical problems of society to improve the human condition. This type is widely used by researchers as it helps to address worldly common problems such as overpopulation, pollution, depletion of natural resources, drought, floods, deprivation of the underprivileged, declining moral standards, and disease. Researchers in this field try to find solutions to existing problems. The approach is much more utilitarian as it strives to find information that will directly influence practice.

Strengths of Applied Research

It is designed to solve practical problems of the modern world, rather than to acquire knowledge for the sake of knowledge.

3.         Action Research

It is an inimitable form of applied research and a reflective process of modern problem solving. It is also called “practitioner research” because of the involvement in real life problem. In action research the practitioner is involved in the collection of data, analysis, interpretation and implementation of results. This type of research can be effectively undertaken by larger organizations or institutions, assisted or guided by professional researchers, in order to improv their strategies, practices, and knowledge of the environments. Action research is an interactive inquiry process that balances the remedial actions implemented in a particular context to understand underlying causes which would enable future predictions about personal and organizational change.

Strengths of Applied Research

It enables the researcher to explore the nature of their practice and to improve it. It encourages the practitioner to become knowledge-makers, rather than merely knowledge-users.

4.         Evaluation Research

Evaluation research, also known as program evaluation is the systematic assessment of the time, money, effort, and resources spent in order to achieve a certain goal. It uses many of the same methods used in traditional social research. It is used to evaluate any program or organizational activity. It is the evaluation of implemented programs about their effectiveness. There are three main types of evaluation.

1.      Concurrent evaluation-means process evaluation

2.      Phase or periodic evaluation- means stage wise evaluation

3.      Terminal evaluation-Evaluation after the completion of the program

 

5.         Inter-Disciplinary Research

This is the most effective research type to understand complex social problems, as social problems are interwoven, it is hard for a researcher to be strict to one discipline and leave the others. Through this type of research, a researcher is privileged to enjoy the benefits of multi-discipline strategies to acquire a solution to complex problems. It is the study of structure or functions of a particular discipline or comparison of one discipline with another.

6.         Exploratory Research

Exploratory research is done to investigate a problem that has not been studied or profoundly investigated in the past. In exploratory research, the researchers try to gain familiarity with an existing phenomenon and obtain new insight into the details of the problem. In exploratory research, the research process varies according to the finding of new data or insight. The answer to the questions like what, how, and why are acquired in this research. 

7.         Descriptive Research

Descriptive research is done to describes the characteristics of the population or phenomenon under study. In this research, the focus is more on the “what” of the research subject than the “why”. The difference between exploratory and descriptive research is that exploratory research discovers the ideas and thoughts, whereas, descriptive research describes mainly the functions and characteristics of a certain problem. The descriptive research uses description, classification, measurement, and comparison to describe.