Types of Research (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what the types of research are according to their area, object of study, methodology, level of analysis or their sources.

types of archeology research — Research can be carried out from multiple perspectives.

What are the types of research?

An investigation is a methodical, objective and verifiable procedure of acquiring new knowledge, or applying said knowledge to the solution of specific problems.

It is one of the fundamental human activities, which our species has been carrying out in its own way since the dawn of civilization. It has allowed us not only to better understand how the world around us works, but also to modify it as we wish to make our lives much simpler, more comfortable and longer lasting.

Research is a very diverse activity, which can be understood and carried out from multiple perspectives, taking into account different aspects of it. It is present in all professional and knowledge fields, scientific or not.

The different types of research can involve both human senses and experiences, as well as theoretical knowledge, logic, formal languages and methodology (especially in the case of the scientific method).

Therefore, there are as many types of research as there are specific approaches to the research process, that is, To classify research we must address different aspects of itas we will see below.

According to the object of study

types of astrophysical research — Research such as astrophysics may not have immediate application.

Depending on the purpose of the research, we can distinguish between:

Basic research. Also known as pure or fundamental research, it aims to increase the theoretical knowledge available in a subject, without being too interested in the usefulness of said knowledge. Therefore, it is formal and pursues the formulation of laws and theories, if not interpretations. An example of this is philosophical research, or certain theoretical sciences that do not have direct application to our lives for now, such as astrophysics.
Applied research. On the contrary, this type of research focuses on the use of knowledge and knowledge for the practical resolution of problems, that is, to apply them to the everyday world of humanity. For example, medical research aimed at curing diseases, or sociological research that seeks to understand and solve a political problem.

According to the methodology

This classification distinguishes research according to the mechanisms they use to obtain and process information.

Theoretical research. It would be the equivalent of an “explanatory” investigation, that is, it finds out the why of things and tries to find reasons, interpretations, arguments and verifications for the things it studies. This is the case, for example, of research into the origins of life, through the mitochondrial DNA of cells from different species.
Descriptive research. Also called statistical research, it is research that attempts to understand reality by applying a formal language to gather information, that is, recording the world using conceptual tools, without necessarily obtaining answers to the why of things, but rather studying the proportion in which they occur. This is what happens, for example, with marketing studies, with electoral polls or with public health studies.
Analytical research. It is a research that starts from certain hypotheses and seeks to verify or refute them, by applying theoretical knowledge to typical cases or controlled experimental scenarios, in order to establish the relationship between a set of variables and a set of results. This is a deepening of descriptive research. This is the case of experimental research with test subjects, such as vaccine tests or pharmacological tests.
Exploratory research. That which aspires only to capture a very general image of the problem and serve as a basis for future and more complex explorations, or for the formulation of a scientific hypothesis that opens new experimental fields. For example, research into new materials or the exploration of distant planets are of this type.

Depending on the level of information analysis

types of quantitative research — Quantitative research can evaluate the performance of new technologies.

In this case, the classification obeys the type of treatment that the research gives to the information handled, that is, the type of methodology used to obtain results.

Quantitative research. They are those in which it is necessary to measure, estimate, compare magnitudes, and collect data through technical procedures and a formal language, such as mathematics. This is the case, for example, of research in the area of technology, which seeks to develop new devices based on their performance and efficiency.
Qualitative research. They are those, however, in which there are no magnitudes to measure, nor hypotheses to test, but rather the aim is to better interpret or understand the reality of a given element, finding hypotheses and conclusions along the way. This is the case with most humanistic investigations, such as explorations of the relationship between two famous artists from two different eras, to see if there was some kind of influence.
Qualitative-quantitative research. Also known as mixed research, it aspires to be an intermediate procedure between qualitative and quantitative, combining the approaches of both. This is the case of market studies, which statistically measure the consumer public and then interpret their feelings about the product studied.

According to your sources of information

Now we will pay attention to the type of instruments or resources that an investigation uses, to differentiate between:

Documentary research. That which uses books, documents and other documentary sources (written, audiovisual, sound, etc.) as a source of knowledge. This is the case of monographs on historical topics, for example.
Experimental research. Those that aim to replicate some type of phenomenon that occurs in nature in a controlled environment, in order to understand the way in which it occurs and the factors that intervene in it, obtaining predictable or measurable results. This is the case of laboratory studies to develop new drugs to combat incurable diseases.
Field research. Those that “go out” to the real world and proceed there to carry out their investigations, involving the observer directly in the reality studied. They use surveys, polls and those types of tools. This is what happens with anthropological, statistical studies or explorations of voting intention.

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Depending on your area of study

types of industrial research — Industrial research finds applications for knowledge.

Finally, we can distinguish research depending on the area to which it is dedicated, obviously from a very general perspective. We will have like this:

Scientific investigations. Those that seek to expand the set of scientific knowledge, whether from a theoretical, practical or theoretical-practical point of view. For example, chemical, physical and biological research.
Industrial investigations. Those that aspire to give new applications to human knowledge, or to solve specific problems that humanity faces, through the use of technology and inventiveness. For example, this type is research in the area of telecommunications, space travel or new forms of energy.
Humanistic investigations. Those that investigate human society and culture, to try to learn about who human beings are and thus interpret in new ways the way we think, feel, act or remember. This is the case of artistic, psychological or historical investigations.
Social-scientific research. Those that try to understand why and how certain things happen in our societies, and that try to think about them from a systemic point of view, closer to that proposed by the pure sciences. This is the case of political, market or sociological research.

Continue with: Research methods