research word meaning

US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(ri sûrch , rē sûrch)

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Home Market Research

What is Research: Definition, Methods, Types & Examples

The search for knowledge is closely linked to the object of study; that is, to the reconstruction of the facts that will provide an explanation to an observed event and that at first sight can be considered as a problem. It is very human to seek answers and satisfy our curiosity. Let’s talk about research.

Content Index

What is Research?

What are the characteristics of research.

• Comparative analysis chart

Qualitative methods

Quantitative methods, 8 tips for conducting accurate research.

Research is the careful consideration of study regarding a particular concern or research problem using scientific methods. According to the American sociologist Earl Robert Babbie, “research is a systematic inquiry to describe, explain, predict, and control the observed phenomenon. It involves inductive and deductive methods.”

Inductive methods analyze an observed event, while deductive methods verify the observed event. Inductive approaches are associated with qualitative research , and deductive methods are more commonly associated with quantitative analysis .

Research is conducted with a purpose to:

• Identify potential and new customers
• Understand existing customers
• Set pragmatic goals
• Develop productive market strategies
• Address business challenges
• Put together a business expansion plan
• Identify new business opportunities
• Good research follows a systematic approach to capture accurate data. Researchers need to practice ethics and a code of conduct while making observations or drawing conclusions.
• The analysis is based on logical reasoning and involves both inductive and deductive methods.
• Real-time data and knowledge is derived from actual observations in natural settings.
• There is an in-depth analysis of all data collected so that there are no anomalies associated with it.
• It creates a path for generating new questions. Existing data helps create more research opportunities.
• It is analytical and uses all the available data so that there is no ambiguity in inference.
• Accuracy is one of the most critical aspects of research. The information must be accurate and correct. For example, laboratories provide a controlled environment to collect data. Accuracy is measured in the instruments used, the calibrations of instruments or tools, and the experiment’s final result.

What is the purpose of research?

There are three main purposes:

• Exploratory: As the name suggests, researchers conduct exploratory studies to explore a group of questions. The answers and analytics may not offer a conclusion to the perceived problem. It is undertaken to handle new problem areas that haven’t been explored before. This exploratory data analysis process lays the foundation for more conclusive data collection and analysis.

LEARN ABOUT: Descriptive Analysis

• Descriptive: It focuses on expanding knowledge on current issues through a process of data collection. Descriptive research describe the behavior of a sample population. Only one variable is required to conduct the study. The three primary purposes of descriptive studies are describing, explaining, and validating the findings. For example, a study conducted to know if top-level management leaders in the 21st century possess the moral right to receive a considerable sum of money from the company profit.

LEARN ABOUT: Best Data Collection Tools

• Explanatory: Causal research or explanatory research is conducted to understand the impact of specific changes in existing standard procedures. Running experiments is the most popular form. For example, a study that is conducted to understand the effect of rebranding on customer loyalty.

Here is a comparative analysis chart for a better understanding:

It begins by asking the right questions and choosing an appropriate method to investigate the problem. After collecting answers to your questions, you can analyze the findings or observations to draw reasonable conclusions.

When it comes to customers and market studies, the more thorough your questions, the better the analysis. You get essential insights into brand perception and product needs by thoroughly collecting customer data through surveys and questionnaires . You can use this data to make smart decisions about your marketing strategies to position your business effectively.

To make sense of your study and get insights faster, it helps to use a research repository as a single source of truth in your organization and manage your research data in one centralized data repository .

Types of research methods and Examples

Research methods are broadly classified as Qualitative and Quantitative .

Both methods have distinctive properties and data collection methods .

Qualitative research is a method that collects data using conversational methods, usually open-ended questions . The responses collected are essentially non-numerical. This method helps a researcher understand what participants think and why they think in a particular way.

Types of qualitative methods include:

• One-to-one Interview
• Focus Groups
• Ethnographic studies
• Text Analysis

Quantitative methods deal with numbers and measurable forms . It uses a systematic way of investigating events or data. It answers questions to justify relationships with measurable variables to either explain, predict, or control a phenomenon.

Types of quantitative methods include:

• Survey research
• Descriptive research
• Correlational research

LEARN MORE: Descriptive Research vs Correlational Research

Remember, it is only valuable and useful when it is valid, accurate, and reliable. Incorrect results can lead to customer churn and a decrease in sales.

It is essential to ensure that your data is:

• Valid – founded, logical, rigorous, and impartial.
• Accurate – free of errors and including required details.
• Reliable – other people who investigate in the same way can produce similar results.
• Timely – current and collected within an appropriate time frame.
• Complete – includes all the data you need to support your business decisions.

Gather insights

• Identify the main trends and issues, opportunities, and problems you observe. Write a sentence describing each one.
• Keep track of the frequency with which each of the main findings appears.
• Make a list of your findings from the most common to the least common.
• Evaluate a list of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats identified in a SWOT analysis .
• Prepare conclusions and recommendations about your study.
• Act on your strategies
• Look for gaps in the information, and consider doing additional inquiry if necessary
• Plan to review the results and consider efficient methods to analyze and interpret results.

Review your goals before making any conclusions about your study. Remember how the process you have completed and the data you have gathered help answer your questions. Ask yourself if what your analysis revealed facilitates the identification of your conclusions and recommendations.

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Definition of research verb from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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research verb 1

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What does the verb research mean?

There are five meanings listed in OED's entry for the verb research , two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

How common is the verb research ?

How is the verb research pronounced?

British english, u.s. english, where does the verb research come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the verb research is in the late 1500s.

OED's earliest evidence for research is from 1588, in the writing of John Harvey, astrologer.

It is also recorded as a noun from the late 1500s.

research is formed within English, by derivation; modelled on a French lexical item.

Etymons: re- prefix , search v.

Nearby entries

• resculpting, n. 1940–
• rescussee, n. 1652–1823
• rescusser, n. 1632–1704
• rese, n. Old English–1600
• rese, v.¹ Old English–1450
• rese, v.² Old English–1582
• reseal, v. 1624–
• resealable, adj. 1926–
• research, n.¹ 1577–
• re-search, n.² 1605–
• research, v.¹ 1588–
• re-search, v.² 1708–
• researchable, adj. 1927–
• research and development, n. 1892–
• researched, adj. 1636–
• researcher, n. 1615–
• researchful, adj. a1834–
• research hospital, n. 1900–
• researching, n. 1611–
• researching, adj. a1639–
• researchist, n. 1901–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for research, v.¹.

research, v.¹ was revised in March 2010.

research, v.¹ was last modified in June 2024.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

• further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into research, v.¹ in June 2024.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1906)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

• View research, v.¹ in OED Second Edition

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Citation details

Factsheet for research, v.¹, browse entry.

University Library

• University Library Home
• Washington and Lee University Research Guides

Learn to Research

• Library words & meanings
• The research process
• Choose a topic
• Find background info
• Select keywords to search
• Search for sources
• Evaluating & selecting articles
• Evaluating online info
• Organize your sources
• Cite your sources

Library words/terms

Background information - basic information about a topic like overviews, definitions, facts, and statistics.

Boolean operators  - words (AND, OR, NOT) used to combine or exclude keywords in a search.

Citation  - a reference to a work (e.g., article, book, website) you used information from in order to provide credit or attribution. Usually includes an author's name, the name of the work, and other information needed so readers can find the work on their own.

Empirical research article  - an article on an original research study using observable and/or measurable evidence (quantitative or qualitative data).

Keywords  - words or phrases that represent aspects of your research topic.

Library catalog  - a searchable version of the books, journals, and other items a library owns, not including articles accessible through databases.

Library database - a collection of information you can search for free as a W&L student or affiliate.

Limiter  - an option in a search tool or database used to limit your results based on a specific parameter, like source type. For example, if you were to use a "books" limiter, you would limit your results to books while excluding all other source types (e.g., articles, images).

Peer review  - a system used to determine the quality of research presented in a manuscript. The manuscript is reviewed by peers, or experts in the relevant field, for validity, originality, and significance to help the editors determine whether the manuscript should be published.

Research topic - the focus of your research, or what you want to learn more about.

Scholarly article  - an article written and reviewed by experts in a field. Also called a "peer-reviewed" or "refereed" article.

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• Last Updated: Sep 10, 2024 1:22 PM
• URL: https://libguides.wlu.edu/learn

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Synonyms and antonyms of research in English

• TO STUDY SOMETHING

Synonyms and examples

Research | american thesaurus.

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