Research purposes

Research involves systematic investigation of phenomena, the purpose of which could be for:

  1. Information gathering and/or
    1. Exploratory: e.g., discovering, uncovering, exploring
    2. Descriptive: e.g., gathering info, describing, summarizing
  2. Theory testing
    1. Explanatory: e.g., testing and understanding causal relations
    2. Predictive: e.g., predicting what might happen in various scenarios

Examples of research studies with these different purposes can be found in this practice quiz.

Discussion questions

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  • How can research help to alleviate poverty on Earth?
  • How can I gain an understanding on why research is nessesary

See also

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