Descriptive research is also known as statistical research, and it is used to be able to describe data and characteristics about either a population or a phenomenon that is being studied. This kind of descriptive research answers a number of questions, just like quantitative data. These questions are who? What? Where? When? And how?
Even thought the data description in this form of research is factual, systematic and correct, the research is not able to actually describe what caused a particular situation. This in turn means that descriptive research isn't suitable to be used in order to create a casual relationship, where one variable is able to affect another. To put it another way, it could be said that descriptive research has a low requirement for 'internal validity'.
The description, too, will be used for average, frequencies, and a range of other statistical calculations, making it the complete opposite of what is now known as qualitative research. Most of the time, the best approach, prior to the descriptive research being written, is to go about conducting a 'survey investigation'.
Qualitative research generally has the aim to describe, and research may have to follow up with more examinations of why some observations may exist, and what any of the implications of the findings might be.
To put things simply, the nature of descriptive research is to be able to deal with all that can be counted and studied - though there are restrictions. The research needs to have an impact on the lives of people around the person that's doing the research. For instance, the researcher might need to find the most frequent disease that affects children in a town. For more information speak to descriptive researchers or do more online research about it.
Even thought the data description in this form of research is factual, systematic and correct, the research is not able to actually describe what caused a particular situation. This in turn means that descriptive research isn't suitable to be used in order to create a casual relationship, where one variable is able to affect another. To put it another way, it could be said that descriptive research has a low requirement for 'internal validity'.
The description, too, will be used for average, frequencies, and a range of other statistical calculations, making it the complete opposite of what is now known as qualitative research. Most of the time, the best approach, prior to the descriptive research being written, is to go about conducting a 'survey investigation'.
Qualitative research generally has the aim to describe, and research may have to follow up with more examinations of why some observations may exist, and what any of the implications of the findings might be.
To put things simply, the nature of descriptive research is to be able to deal with all that can be counted and studied - though there are restrictions. The research needs to have an impact on the lives of people around the person that's doing the research. For instance, the researcher might need to find the most frequent disease that affects children in a town. For more information speak to descriptive researchers or do more online research about it.
