What are the commonly used types of research methods? Differentiate their major characteristics.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Research methods may be classified as primary or secondary, quantitative or qualitative, and cross-sectional or longitudinal. Research is considered primary when the data originate with the study. Research is considered secondary when the data were collected for some other purpose(s). In general, primary research tends to produce data more relevant for the study than does secondary research. However, it is also more costly and time-consuming to collect.

Quantitative research focuses on using numbers in the analysis, while qualitative research focuses on using words and statements. Quantitative analysis is able to cover more people than qualitative analysis, so it presents broader and more generalizable findings. Qualitative research tends to produce more in-depth and detailed information, so its findings tend to be more valid.

Cross-sectional research refers to using data collected at one point in time, while longitudinal research refers to using data collected at two or more points in time. Collecting cross-sectional data is cheaper and less time-consuming than collecting longitudinal data, but longitudinal data tend to be more extensive and better suited for causal research. Attrition is a potential problem when designing longitudinal studies.

Additionally, the purposes of research methods may be exploratory, descriptive, or causal. Exploratory research is conducted when little is known about the subject matter. The purpose is to gain an initial insight into the topic to find out its critical issues and concepts. Descriptive research provides a more detailed account of the distributions of the major characteristics of the subject matter. Causal research explains the subject matter, tests hypotheses, and examines relationships, including cause and effect, among variables. The design of causal research is generally the most rigorous, followed by descriptive and exploratory research. Exploratory research is often conducted first to provide categories and concepts of characteristics important to a subject. Descriptive research is performed next in an effort to understand the distributions of these characteristics, and causal research is carried out last to assess the relationships among these characteristics.