What is Research?

                Research is defined as a careful, systematic study in a field of knowledge, undertaken to discover or establish facts or principles. It is also defined as a systematic process of collecting and analysing data to find an answer to a question or a solution to a problem, to validate or test an existing theory.

General Types of Research

                Research can be classified into three general categories; descriptive research, correlation or association research and experimental or intervention research.

Descriptive Research

        The descriptive type of study finds an answer to the questions who, what, when, where and how. 

This type of research describes a situation or a given state of affairs in terms of specified aspects or factors. What may be described are characteristics of individuals or groups (farmers, students, administrators, entrepreneurs, patients, etc.), or conditions ( epidemic, calamities, leadership styles, anxiety level, sales and profit, productivity, etc)

The following examples of research topics in specific areas fall under the descriptive type.

      The management style of school administrators in Midsayap, North Cotabato.

      Marketing practices of the loom weaving industry in Region XII.

Explanatory or Correlation Research

                An explanatory study goes beyond description of a problem or situation. It attempts to explain the possible factors related to a problem which has been observed in a descriptive study. This type of study answers the questions why and how? The factors related to the problem, however, need not be viewed as real causes of the problem, but factors which are associated with or may contribute to the occurrence of the problem.

The researcher usually uses a theory or a hypothesis to account for or explain the forces that are “assumed to have caused” the problem.

The following examples of research topics fall under the explanatory or correlation category.

      Marketing strategies and Sales Performance of garment Industries in the province of North Cotabato.

      Employment and Income As Determinants of Loan Repayment Status of Borrowers of Credit Cooperatives in Midsayap, North Cotabato

Intervention or Experimental Research

                A type of research evaluates the effect or outcome of a particular intervention or treatment. It studies the “cause and effect” relationship between certain factors on a certain phenomenon under controlled conditions. The subjects of the study are randomly assigned to the experimental group and to the control group and both groups are exposed to similar conditions except for the intervention/treatment.

The following research problems are examples of intervention/ experimental type of research.

      Advertising: Its effect on Sales and Profit of Auto Parts Business Establishment in Midsayap”.

      The impact of the Midsayap Microfinance Projects on the Living Conditions of the Beneficiaries.”

source is from the internet. thanks to the author.great help.