Theme: Understanding the Purpose, Types, and Structure of Research
Duration: 1 week (self-paced study)
Level: MA / MSc / PhD Preparation
Format: Fully self-contained lesson
🔷 1.1 Purpose of This Module
This module equips you with a foundational understanding of research: what it is, why it matters, how it is structured, and what kinds exist. By the end, you’ll be able to:
- Define research accurately
- Identify the main purposes and types of research
- Distinguish between exploratory, descriptive, explanatory, evaluative, and predictive studies
- Understand differences between qualitative, quantitative, and mixed approaches
- Begin developing your own research topic
📖 1.2 What Is Research?
✅ Definition:
Research is a systematic, organised, and objective process used to investigate questions, validate facts, generate new knowledge, and contribute to academic, scientific, or practical understanding.
🔍 1.3 Characteristics of Research
| Characteristic | Meaning | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Systematic | Follows a step-by-step plan (question, design, collect, analyse, conclude) | Ensures structure and reliability |
| Empirical | Based on observation, experience, or data | Grounds findings in evidence, not opinion |
| Objective | Free from personal bias or emotion | Makes findings generalisable and credible |
| Replicable | Other researchers can repeat the study | Enables validation and extension of results |
| Critical | Evaluates both findings and process | Prevents blind acceptance; promotes scrutiny |
| Ethical | Respects rights, dignity, and truth | Builds trust and avoids harm |
🧠 1.4 Why Is Research Important?
- Solves Problems: From curing diseases to reforming education.
- Informs Policy: Provides governments with data to make decisions.
- Advances Knowledge: Builds on past discoveries in every discipline.
- Improves Practice: Enhances techniques in fields like medicine, business, education, etc.
- Supports Innovation: Drives invention and adaptation in technology, science, and society.
🧭 1.5 The Five Purposes of Research
Each research project has a dominant purpose. You must identify yours early.
1️⃣ Exploratory Research
Purpose: To investigate new, unclear, or under-researched topics.
Usually qualitative, open-ended.
| Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| “How do high school students use AI tools for homework?” | Topic not widely studied; aims to discover patterns. |
| “What are the lived experiences of caregivers of autistic adults?” | Explores human experience in depth. |
| “What is the role of social rituals in virtual gaming communities?” | Emergent digital cultures, needing exploration. |
2️⃣ Descriptive Research
Purpose: To document facts, conditions, or phenomena.
Focuses on “What is happening?” rather than “Why?”
| Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| “What percentage of UK teachers experience burnout yearly?” | Documents a trend without seeking cause. |
| “What strategies do online sellers use to gain customer trust?” | Lists methods rather than evaluating them. |
| “What types of therapy are used in mental health clinics across London?” | Describes prevalence or common features. |
3️⃣ Explanatory Research
Purpose: To understand cause-and-effect relationships or correlations.
Often uses hypotheses, control groups, statistical tests.
| Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| “Does daily journaling reduce anxiety in university students?” | Tests intervention effects. |
| “Is there a correlation between sleep quality and academic performance?” | Looks at linked variables. |
| “Do students who attend lectures earn higher grades?” | Examines predictive causality. |
4️⃣ Evaluative Research
Purpose: To assess the effectiveness, efficiency, or impact of a policy, programme, or intervention.
| Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| “Has the UK’s sugar tax reduced soda consumption?” | Measures outcome of policy. |
| “Does mindfulness training improve employee well-being?” | Evaluates a workplace strategy. |
| “Is the new digital library system improving access to research?” | Judges implementation success. |
5️⃣ Predictive Research
Purpose: To forecast future outcomes based on current trends or data.
| Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| “Will electric vehicles dominate global car sales by 2035?” | Predicts future behaviour. |
| “Can teenage social media activity predict future mental health issues?” | Uses present indicators to predict trends. |
| “What are the long-term employment impacts of automation?” | Projects forward from current evidence. |
🔬 1.6 Types of Research by Methodology
1️⃣ Qualitative Research
- Focus: Meaning, experience, perception
- Flexible, open-ended questions
- Rich, narrative data
| Examples |
|---|
| Interviews with trauma survivors about recovery journeys |
| Focus groups with teachers on curriculum change |
| Observing rituals in immigrant religious communities |
2️⃣ Quantitative Research
- Focus: Numbers, measurements, variables
- Statistical testing
- Controlled conditions (e.g., experiments)
| Examples |
|---|
| Measuring student satisfaction using Likert-scale surveys |
| Testing the effect of caffeine on reaction time in a lab |
| Analysing unemployment rates across 50 cities |
3️⃣ Mixed Methods Research
- Combines qualitative and quantitative methods
- Collects numeric and narrative data for deeper understanding
| Examples |
|---|
| Survey + interviews on why students drop out of university |
| Case study using test scores + focus group reflection |
| Evaluating a policy through statistics + stakeholder interviews |
🧪 1.7 Independent Learning Tasks
📝 TASK 1: Classify Three Research Articles
Instructions:
Choose three academic abstracts (real or simulated). For each:
- What is the main purpose? (exploratory, descriptive, etc.)
- What is the methodology? (qualitative, quantitative, mixed)
- What is the key focus? (e.g., mental health, AI, education)
Sample:
- Title: The Effects of Online Learning on Exam Performance
- Purpose: Explanatory
- Method: Quantitative
- Focus: Higher education
✍️ TASK 2: Write Your Topic Motivation (300–400 words)
Reflect:
- What issue or area fascinates you?
- What questions would you like to explore?
- Why is this topic important to society, academia, or your personal growth?
Example:
I want to investigate how first-generation university students develop self-confidence. I am a first-gen student myself and know how important support systems can be. Research in this area can improve access and wellbeing.
🗃 TASK 3: Build a Comparative Table
| Study | Purpose | Type | Key Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study 1 | Descriptive | Quantitative | 70% of respondents use AI tools weekly |
| Study 2 | Exploratory | Qualitative | Students fear academic dishonesty accusations |
| Study 3 | Evaluative | Mixed | New training improved academic outcomes by 30% |
📘 1.8 Summary of Key Takeaways
- Research is systematic, objective, evidence-based, and critical.
- There are five core purposes: exploratory, descriptive, explanatory, evaluative, and predictive.
- There are three core methodological types: qualitative, quantitative, mixed.
- Your own research must clearly align with a purpose and method to be academically valid.
✅ End-of-Module Self-Evaluation Checklist
| Question | Yes / No |
|---|---|
| Can I define research in my own words? | ☐ |
| Can I identify 5 distinct purposes of research with examples? | ☐ |
| Do I understand the difference between qualitative and quantitative studies? | ☐ |
| Have I selected a topic I care about? | ☐ |
| Did I complete the three self-study tasks? | ☐ |