What Is Exploratory Research?

Exploratory research means that the researcher is not very clear about the scope and concept of the research topic, is not familiar with the internal relations of the research object, cannot determine hypotheses and research directions, and lacks previous research information and theory, and cannot propose specific methods. A research method used in the case of precision research. This type of research requires the collection of various preliminary data related to the subject and the question, exploring and forming hypotheses about the research topic, or preparing for concentrated analysis and research on one or more levels of the phenomenon. Its main purpose is to provide the basis and guidance for future thorough research. There are three commonly used methods: refer to the literature; survey and interview people with practical experience; analyze inspiring examples or conduct local pilot studies. ^[1]

Exploratory research

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Exploratory research means that the researcher is not very clear about the scope and concept of the research topic, is not familiar with the internal relations of the research object, cannot determine hypotheses and research directions, and lacks previous research information and theory, and cannot propose specific methods. A research method used in the case of precision research. This type of research requires the collection of various preliminary data related to the subject and the question, exploring and forming hypotheses about the research topic, or preparing for concentrated analysis and research on one or more levels of the phenomenon. Its main purpose is to provide the basis and guidance for future thorough research. There are three commonly used methods: refer to the literature; survey and interview people with practical experience; analyze inspiring examples or conduct local pilot studies. ^[1]

Chinese name

Exploratory research

Foreign name

Exploratory research

Survey object

Small sample

Features

Subjective qualitative research

Attributes

A Research Approach to Social Surveys

Features: subjective qualitative research; simple design, free form

Survey object: small sample

The basic purpose of exploratory research is to provide some information to help researchers understand and understand the problems they face. Often used to help investigators define issues more accurately, help determine relevant course of action, or obtain more relevant information before a more formal survey. The information required at this stage is imprecise and the research process is flexible and has no structure. For example, consulting an industry expert is an exploratory study. The sample size is generally small and not very representative. Raw data is generally qualitative. The results of exploratory investigations are generally experimental, temporary, or serve as the beginning of further research.

Patton (2002, P.25) pointed out that in general, the methods of exploratory research can be divided into four types of sub-data research, expert interviews, similar case analysis, and in-depth interviews ^[2] . In-depth interviews (ie depth interviews) or open interviews (open-end interviews) are direct references to people's experiences, opinions, feelings and knowledge.