Page 41 - SREENARAYANAGURU OPEN UNIVERSITY
P. 41
Techniques of exploratory research
There are three different techniques of exploratory research.
a. Secondary data analysis
Secondary data analysis is the use of existing research data to
answer a question that was not addressed in the original work. ◆ Existing data
Secondary data can come from large-scale surveys or from
personal research.
b. Expert surveys
Expert surveys are often referred to as experience surveys
because they involve interaction with people who are experts in ◆ Interaction with
the field being studied. Some people come across situations as a experts
result of their position as an individual, official, or social worker
that make their experience a valuable source of information.
c. Case study
A case study is a detailed examination of one person, group, or
event. A case study examines nearly every aspect of the subject’s
life and history to look for patterns and causes of behaviour. Case ◆ In-depth
studies have applications in many fields, including psychology, examination
medicine, education, anthropology, political science, and social
work.
1.3.3.2 Conclusive Research Design
As the name implies, conclusive research design is used to
generate findings that are practically useful in reaching conclusions
or making decisions. The research objectives and data requirements ◆ Decision making
for this type of study must be clearly defined. Conclusive study
findings typically have specific applications. Conclusive research
design allows for the verification and quantification of exploratory
study findings.
A conclusive research design typically employs quantitative
data collection and analysis methods. Furthermore, conclusive ◆ Deductive approach
studies are typically deductive in nature, with research objectives
achieved through the testing of hypotheses.
Conclusive research design is classified into three categories:
◆ Diagnostic research design
Diagnostic research is conducted to establish whether two
or more variables are associated and to determine the degree to
which the variables are associated. For example, a study may
be carried out to find if there is any association between tourism ◆ Association between
package preference and purpose of visit. Diagnostic research variables
design is employed to examine the factors and variables that
impact a particular situation or condition. The correlation between
the variables are also identified through diagnostic research.
SGOU - SLM - MCom Research Methodology 35

