Explanatory and Exploratory Research
QUESTION
Explanatory research and exploratory research are two approaches to collecting and analyzing mixed-method data. Explanatory research explains why certain phenomena work in the ways that they do, while exploratory research explores and investigates a problem that is not clearly defines. Both of these designs are important in analyzing problems. (Hasa, 2021)
Exploratory design is used when a researcher wants to understand and explore a topic generally. It is used to explore and investigate a problem that is not clearly defined. Is explores the research problem but does not offer a final or conclusive solution to an existing problem. It is conducted at the preliminary stage of research Explanatory design is used when the researcher wants to explain why a certain phenomenon happened. It links different ideas to understand the nature of the cause-and-effect relationships in order to explain why certain phenomena occur. It is usually conducted after exploratory research and descriptive research. (Hasa, 2018)
Hasa. June 18, 2021. What is the Difference Between Explanatory and Exploratory Research? . PEDIAA. What is the Difference Between Explanatory and Exploratory Research – Pediaa.Com
Explanatory and Exploratory Research
ANSWER
Explanatory and Exploratory Research
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After I have meticulously read your post, I can say that you have vividly brought out the differences between explanatory and exploratory researches in a more conspicuous way. According to your post, explanatory research and exploratory researches are used to collect and analyze data during research which is word-perfect. However, there are crucial points you missed in defining and differentiating the two research approaches. In your post, you mentioned that “Explanatory research explains why certain phenomena work in the ways that they do, while exploratory research explores and investigates a problem that is not clearly defined.” I can add to your statement by mentioning that the two approaches can work together (Casula, Rangarajan & Shields, 2021). To help eliminate confusion, according to Mittal (2010), exploratory research is one “research that helps marketing researchers explore ideas, generate hypotheses, and formulate questions to be subsequently tested and verified in quantitative research.” This means that exploratory research paves the way to more informed, conclusive, or descriptive research, that is, explanatory research (Casula, Rangarajan & Shields, 2021; Mittal, 2010).
On the other hand, in my view, I think you could have been one step ahead if you had offered examples of these two research approaches, and it could have been easy to differentiate the two. In my response, I can note that informal quality approaches, for example, discussing with or interviewing patients about a proposed method of care or line of drugs, can be an example of exploratory research. In the same case, explanatory research can give a more defined scope by focusing on a particular research group, reviewing various literature related to the topic, and analyzing every single problem related to the new drug in pilot research. Generally, your post was a success in bringing out a solid understanding of the two research approaches. I have borrowed a few from your post.
References
Casula, M., Rangarajan, N., & Shields, P. (2021). The potential of working hypotheses for deductive exploratory research. Quality & Quantity, 55(5), 1703-1725.
Mittal, V. (2010). Exploratory Research. Wiley International Encyclopedia of Marketing