Research types : Part 1 : Descriptive vs Analytical

Summary

In this video, the speaker explores two key types of research: descriptive and analytical. Descriptive research focuses on gathering data through surveys and inquiries to describe a phenomenon as it exists in the present, without controlling variables. It's useful when the problem is known. Analytical research, on the other hand, involves analyzing existing data to evaluate or derive insights. Both methods have unique applications, with descriptive research describing a state and analytical research critically analyzing facts to uncover hidden information. The speaker invites viewers to stay tuned for future videos on other research types.

Takeaways

• 😀 Descriptive research focuses on gathering data to describe the current state of a phenomenon or event.
• 😀 This type of research is commonly used when you know the problem or event you want to investigate.
• 😀 Descriptive research does not involve controlling variables; it simply collects available facts.
• 😀 An example of descriptive research is preparing for a job interview by gathering information about the company and the interview process.
• 😀 Descriptive research is often used in scenarios where the researcher wants to understand customer preferences or behavior.
• 😀 Analytical research involves analyzing existing data to make critical evaluations or draw conclusions.
• 😀 Analytical research is used when you already have data on hand and want to understand underlying patterns or trends.
• 😀 Descriptive research is also known as **exposed factor research**, which is used to examine phenomena like customer preferences.
• 😀 Descriptive research can include methods like surveys, case studies, and correlation studies to gather information.
• 😀 Analytical research is ideal for making sense of data such as customer ratings, demographics, or product usage statistics.
• 😀 Both descriptive and analytical research methods are part of a broader set of research types that will be explored in future videos.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The main focus of the video is to explain different types of research methods, with a particular emphasis on descriptive and analytical research.

What is descriptive research?

Descriptive research involves collecting data to describe a specific event, entity, or situation as it exists at the time of the study, without influencing the variables involved.

Can you control the variables in descriptive research?

No, in descriptive research, the researcher has no control over the variables, as the goal is to collect information based on real-world inputs without manipulating them.

When should you choose descriptive research?

Descriptive research should be chosen when the problem statement is known, and you aim to collect information about a particular event or situation that is currently happening.

What is an example of descriptive research in the video?

An example given is preparing for a job interview. Before the interview, you might gather information about the company, the interviewer, and the interview process, which are all forms of descriptive research.

What is the goal of descriptive research?

The goal of descriptive research is to describe the state of affairs as it exists at the time of the study, without any intention of explaining or analyzing underlying causes.

What is analytical research?

Analytical research involves analyzing existing facts or data to evaluate and draw conclusions, typically to understand relationships, patterns, or causes within the data.

How is analytical research different from descriptive research?

Unlike descriptive research, which focuses on collecting data to describe a situation, analytical research uses existing data to analyze and interpret patterns, trends, and relationships to derive insights.

Can analytical research be used when the researcher has no data?

No, analytical research can only be conducted when the researcher already has data or facts to analyze and draw conclusions from.

What is an example of analytical research in the video?

An example of analytical research provided in the video is analyzing customer ratings and feedback on a product, where existing data is used to explore customer satisfaction, preferences, and demographics.