Research Power
Why Should I Care?
The scientific strength, or power, of your research depends on several key traits of your methodology. The stronger the method: the more credible your results and conclusions.
This lesson has 5 parts
- Definitions
- Exploratory Research
- Descriptive Studies
- Explanatory Studies
- Summary Table
What is Research Power?
Research power is a loose qualifying term which aims to classify scientific studies according to their empirical strength. There is not a definite measurement of power in the world of science. The main idea is that some studies can explain phenomena with great detail and accuracy, and even be used to predict outcomes. Other studies will aim to focus less on explaining relationships, and more on developing the ground work needed to understand a situation or group of people. Whatever the level of power, studies are equally important when they are well done, and aimed at an important issue.
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Definitions
Exploratory Research
Early studies are sometimes called exploratory. Their objective is to start the process by making some key observations and loosely defining important variables.
Descriptive Study
Studies that go into more detail are called descriptive. Their objective is to accumulate understanding of the phenomenon using as much observation as possible.
Explanatory Study
Studies that establish reasons why things happen are called explanatory. Their objective is to single out and isolate the effects of variables between each other.
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Exploratory Research
The objective of exploratory research is to start the process by making early observations of the phenomena. The scientist will have to identify the variables, not knowing what they are from the beginning. They will also have to set an operational definition for each variable, which has never been done before. Since there is no previous science on this topic, everything must be defined and observed as a new phenomenon.
The scientist here has to identify the 5 Ws from “scratch”: Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Many factors are taken into account, but we cannot say which is most important in explaining a situation. Researchers in this situation are the first observers of these topics and phenomena, which means their literature reviews are usually quite thin. Typical instruments would be the interview and audio-visual recordings.
A very popular technique for exploratory research is called Grounded Theory, which entails a very empirical method of building a logical model of the systems in play. For example, rather than to come to the problem with a set of hypotheses, the researcher will start with empirical observations, often qualitative. The researcher will then code the observations into discrete terms. For example, events of verbal abuse can be coded into short terms like 'demeaning', 'screaming', or 'cussing'. These coded observations can be tallied and re-examined to see if patterns emerge. The researcher will go back to the field to continue to measure observations using a refined technique and reiterate the process until the datasets provide useful feedback. For more information on Grounded Theory, see the important work of Glaser (1992) and the seminal book on the matter (Glaser & Strauss, 1967).
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Descriptive Studies
Studies that go into more detail are called descriptive. Their objective is to accumulate understanding of the phenomenon using as much observation as possible.
These studies describe the 5 Ws: Who, What, When, Where, but not Why. Then they identify, sort, classify, and analyze variables and sets of data. They help to establish temporal order between variables, such as figuring what comes first in sequence of events. The researchers may, or not, be sitting on a strong foundation of past research. Descriptive studies need -- at the very least -- a base of exploratory work in order to be able to delve into more detail. The length and depth of literature depends on the topic and how much attention it has attracted from academics.
These studies may establish correlation, or co-incidence, of observations. This is when two actions appear to be related. Descriptive studies are also important to start to build a theoretical model, a set of logical assumptions and relationships between variables. This model can later be used to write formal hypotheses. Typical instruments for descriptive research include survey questionnaires, available data, in-person recordings, and the analysis of media content.
A very popular technique for descriptive studies is called Ethnography, which is based on direct participation in a cultural group's daily activities, including meals, work, play and religious ceremonies. The goal of ethnography is to try to understand a group of people, such as an Indigenous nation, workers in a specific plant or company town, or a team of hockey players. A famous researcher is Bronislaw Malinowski, whose seminal studies of Indigenous peoples of Australia are credited as some of the first published ethnographies.
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Explanatory Studies
Finally, the third type of study is explanatory. These studies try to establish reasons why and how things happen. These studies will try to establish statistical correlations first, and causality second, between variables. Explanatory studies are sitting on a strong foundation of exploratory and descriptive work. Researchers in this situation are benefitting from a long line of previous research, which is often reflected in the fact the literature review sections of their papers are quite lengthy.
Researchers are looking for smaller gaps in knowledge that can be tested to be better understood. These gaps can be expressed as a very precise hypothesis, which clearly defines the variables at play. These variables can then be measured and compared to each other in order to confirm, or infirm, the hypothesis. Typical instruments for explanatory research include survey questionnaires, and laboratory experiments. Experiments done in psychology are a good example of this. Control groups enable scientists to apply stimuli to a particular system, and see its effect on other variables. This way, they can separate true causes from coincidence.
A very popular technique for descriptive studies is called the Hypothetico-Deductive model, which is based on forming a hypothesis and then verifying its validity with empirical data. This is a standard method in natural and social sciences. A defining feature of this model is called Positivism, which was proposed by Austrian philosopher of sciences Karl Popper (1934). In a nut-shell, positivism proposes that scientific enquiry should be interested in discovering knowledge by focussing on infirming a widely-held view, rather than confirming it. This is also called falsification.
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Summary Table
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|
Exploratory |
Descriptive |
Explanatory |
|
State of the literature |
Inexistent to very small |
Small to Large |
Very Large |
|
Scientific Power |
Low |
Medium |
High |
|
Qualification of objects / variables |
Unknown, to be determined |
Known, to be measured in more detail |
Known, to be analyzed for their relationships |
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Instruments
|
Interview, |
Questionnaire, Available Data, |
Questionnaire, Experiment |
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Methods |
Field Work |
Field Work, Unobtrusive Measurement, Content Analysis |
Experiment, Survey |
|
Popular Technique |
Grounded Theory |
Ethnography |
Hypothetico-Deductivism |
References and Further Reading
Glaser, B. G. (1992). Basics of grounded theory analysis. Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press.
Glaser B. G. & Strauss A. (1967). Discovery of Grounded Theory. Strategies for Qualitative Research. Sociology Press.
Malinowski, B. (1913). The family among the Australian Aborigines. A sociological study.
Popper, K. (1934). Logik der Forschung. Zur Erkenntnistheorie der modernen Naturwissenschaft. Julius Springer, Hutchinson & Co. Published in English in 1959 under the title: The Logic of Scientific Discovery.
Sheppard, V. (2022). Research Methods for the Social Sciences: An Introduction. BC Press. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/jibcresearchmethods/chapter/3-2-exploration-description-explanation/
Young, M. (2004). Malinowski: Odyssey of an Anthropologist, 1884-1920, Yale University Press.