In a short essay, discuss the differences between exploratory and conclusive research

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

a. Exploratory research is research conducted to explore the problem situation, that is, to gain ideas and insight into the problem confronting the management or the researcher. Exploratory research may be used when management realizes a problem exists but does not yet understand why. Because the information needs are only loosely defined at this stage, exploratory research must be flexible and unstructured. Exploratory research is conducted on a small and nonrepresentative sample, so the findings should be regarded as tentative and should be used as building blocks for further research.
b. Conclusive research is research designed to assist the decision maker in determining, evaluating, and selecting the best course of action in a given situation. Conclusive research is based on the assumption that the researcher has an accurate understanding of the problem at hand. The objective of conclusive research is to test specific hypotheses and examine specific relationships. Conclusive research is typically more formal and structured than exploratory research. The researcher specifies the detailed steps in the research to be conducted prior to initiating the project. Large, representative samples are used to collect data that are analyzed with statistical techniques.