The main difference between explanatory and exploratory research is that explanatory research explains why certain phenomena work in the way that they do, whereas exploratory research explores and investigates a problem that is not clearly defined.
Explanatory and exploratory research are two types of research that are important in analyzing problems. A researcher conducts exploratory research when he or she has just begun researching and wants to understand and explore the topic generally. A researcher will use explanatory research when he or she wants to explain why a certain phenomenon happens.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Explanatory Research
– Definition, Features, Types
2. What is Exploratory Research
– Definition, Features
3. Difference Between Explanatory vs Exploratory Research
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Explanatory Research, Exploratory Research
What is Explanatory Research
Explanatory research is an attempt to explain why certain phenomena work in the way that they do. We use the term explanatory research to identify research studies that answer this ‘why question’. This type of research study attempts to link different ideas to understand the nature of cause-and-effect relationships. In other words, explanatory research analyzes specific problems and explains the patterns of relationships between variables. However, it’s important to know that most research studies start from exploratory research, descriptive research, and then explanatory research.
For example, exploratory research will explore the general phenomenon of students failing an exam; descriptive research will describe how many students have failed the exam, while explanatory research will analyze why students failed the exam. Similarly, if someone says they are carrying out an explanatory study on student’s addiction to smartphones, that study will mainly explain the reasons behind students’ addiction or factors that contribute to the addiction.
Types of Explanatory Research
The most common types of explanatory research involve in-depth interviews, literature research, case studies, and focus group research. Interviews usually involve an expert in the field who can explain the phenomena under investigation. Literature research, on the other hand, involves searching information from journal articles, newspapers, and other relevant sources.
What is Exploratory Research
Exploratory research, as its name suggests, is an attempt to explore and investigate a problem that is not clearly defined. It merely explores the research problem and does not offer final or conclusive solutions to existing problems. In this type of research, the researcher starts with general ideas to get an idea about how to best approach the research subjects, what methods to use, and what type of data to gather. Researchers usually conduct this type of research when they want to test the feasibility of conducting an extensive study on a particular topic. This type of research is typically conducted for problems at a preliminary stage. Furthermore, in this type of research, the researcher should be willing to change his direction according to new insights or data he gains.
There are different types of exploratory research methods. Primary research methods involve surveys, polls, interviews, focus groups, and observations, whereas secondary research methods involve online research, literature research and case study research. Overall exploratory research studies do not have a proper structure and involve several general steps, including identifying the problem, creating the hypothesis, and further research.
Difference Between Explanatory and Exploratory Research
Definition
Explanatory research is a type of research that attempts to explain why certain phenomena work in the way that they do. Exploratory research, on the other hand, is a type of research that attempts to explore and investigate a problem that is not clearly defined.
Nature
While explanatory research links different ideas to understand the nature of cause-and-effect relationships in order to explain why certain phenomena occur, exploratory research explores the research problem but does not offer final or conclusive solutions to existing problems.
Stage
Explanatory research is usually conducted after exploratory research and descriptive research, whereas exploratory research is conducted at the preliminary stage.
Conclusion
The main difference between explanatory and exploratory research is that explanatory research explains why certain phenomena work in the way that they do, whereas exploratory research explores and investigates a problem that is not clearly defined.
Reference:
1. DeCarlo, Matthew. “7.1 Types of Research.” Scientific Inquiry in Social Work, Open Social Work Education.
2. Consultores, Bastis. “The Importance of Explanatory Research.” Online Tesis.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Research Scene Vector” By Videoplasty.com (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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