Thursday, May 2, 2024

What is Descriptive Research? Definition, Methods, Types and Examples

descriptive design

Qualtrics can help you determine the appropriate method and ensure you design a study that will deliver the insights you need. Using the data provided, researchers can analyze the data to understand what the election result will be. As an observational method, descriptive research will not tell you the cause of any particular behaviors, but that could be established with further research. Because the data collection for descriptive research produces statistical outcomes, it can also be used as secondary data for another research study. Descriptive research is often popular for survey research because it generates answers in a statistical form, which makes it easy for researchers to carry out a simple statistical analysis to interpret what the data is saying.

Data collection

Online survey tools allow multiple data collection channels such as email, website, and SMS surveys. The descriptive research method generally employs random sampling while selecting a sample group. The randomness may lead to sampling error if the sample group isn’t representative of the larger population.

Data Analysis Methods

A case study can be used to describe the characteristics of a specific subject (such as a person, group, event, or organisation). Instead of gathering a large volume of data to identify patterns across time or location, case studies gather detailed data to identify the characteristics of a narrowly defined subject. Observations allow you to gather data on behaviours and phenomena without having to rely on the honesty and accuracy of respondents. This method is often used by psychological, social, and market researchers to understand how people act in real-life situations. Visualization can help identify patterns or relationships between variables and make it easier to communicate findings to others. This method involves analyzing data by creating a table that shows the frequency of two or more variables together.

Frequently asked questions

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Furthermore, a successful reintegration fulfills their need for competence, thereby bolstering their motivation [52]. Having a clear goal enhances their professional development and further enriches their professional life. This study contributes new insights by demonstrating that perceiving their own professional development and embracing future goals motivates them to continue their work.

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Electrical engineer job description targetjobs.

Posted: Tue, 27 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Researchers should choose techniques that are appropriate for the data and the question being asked. Descriptive research is often less expensive and less time-consuming than other research methods, making it a cost-effective way to gather information about a particular population or phenomenon. By understanding how the different demographics respond within your sample you can identify patterns and trends.

descriptive design

This retention rate is significantly higher compared to the turnover rates observed among newly graduated nurses (7.8%) and nurses with prior experience (17.7%) [16]. The potential for findings from a qualitative descriptive study to impact on policy was identified in a study by Syme et al. (2016), who noted a lack of guidance and policies around sexual expression management of residents in long-term care settings. In this study, 20 directors of nursing from long-term care settings were interviewed with a view to identifying challenges in addressing sexual expression in these settings and elicit their recommendations for addressing these challenges in practice and policy. Following thematic analysis, findings relating to what directors of nursing believed to be important components of policy to address sexual expression were identified.

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This means you’ll need to conduct further research to get a more complete picture of a situation. This can be highly beneficial when you’re looking to understand the behaviors or preferences of a wider population. These characteristics in the population sample can be identified, observed and measured to guide decisions. Market researchers use descriptive research for a range of commercial purposes to guide key decisions.

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In documentary studies, the researcher evaluates the available literature on the research topic. Longitudinal surveys are used in longitudinal studies where the same variables are observed over a long period of time. This allows researchers to investigate the status of variables at different points in time. The observational method is generally used in psychological, social, and market research to obtain data that explains how people behave in real-life settings. In this method, researchers observe respondents in their natural environment, from a distance, and therefore do not influence the variables being studied. This allows them to gather information on the behaviors and characteristics being studied without having to rely on respondents for honest and accurate responses.

When you are not sure about the validity of an existing condition, you can use descriptive research to ascertain the underlying patterns of the research object. This is because descriptive research methods make an in-depth analysis of each variable before making conclusions. It is used to determine the characteristics of the subjects, including their traits, behaviour, opinion, etc. This information may be gathered with the use of surveys, which are shared with the respondents who in this case, are the research subjects.

Furthermore, it is important to minimize bias in all aspects of the study, from the selection of participants to the analysis of data. Descriptive research provides a surface-level understanding of a phenomenon, rather than a deep understanding. Descriptive research is often less expensive and less time-consuming than other research methods. Descriptive research is focused on describing and summarizing the characteristics of a particular population or phenomenon. The information gathered through descriptive research can serve as a baseline for future research and provide a foundation for further studies.

Similarly, enablers such as family-friendly work conditions, peer support, and on-the-job training played pivotal roles in the participants’ job continuity, and their absence could result in dissatisfaction or job exit. Likewise, motivators such as pride and confidence yielded personal fulfillment, motivating participants to pursue their professional goals. While the Two-Factor Theory focuses on work components, our study contends that healthcare institutions must address both professional and personal factors for nurse retention.

In this guide we’ll look through the main issues relating to descriptive research to give you a better understanding of what it is, and how and why you can use it. Descriptive research is an appropriate choice when the research aim is to identify characteristics, frequencies, trends, and categories. This involves observing and documenting the behavior or interactions of individuals or groups in a natural or controlled setting. Observational studies can be used to describe social, cultural, or environmental phenomena, or to investigate the effects of interventions or treatments.

descriptive design

You can use it freely (with some kind of link), and we're also okay with people reprinting in publications like books, blogs, newsletters, course-material, papers, wikipedia and presentations (with clear attribution). In addition, the results of observational studies are not repeatable, and so there can be no replication of the experiment and reviewing of the results. It is also useful where it is not possible to test and measure the large number of samples needed for more quantitative types of experimentation. Correlative surveys help establish if there is a positive, negative, or neutral connection between two variables. You can extrapolate or generalize the information you obtain from sample surveys to the larger group being researched. Descriptive research differs from experimental research in that researchers cannot manipulate the variables.

Case studies are often used in psychology, sociology, and business to explore complex phenomena or to generate hypotheses for further research. Descriptive research design is a type of research methodology that aims to describe or document the characteristics, behaviors, attitudes, opinions, or perceptions of a group or population being studied. Descriptive research is primarily concerned with providing an objective representation of the subject of study without explaining underlying causes or mechanisms. Explanatory research seeks to explain the relationships between variables and uncover the underlying causes or mechanisms. Experimental research, on the other hand, involves manipulating variables and controlling conditions to investigate cause-and-effect relationships. It aims to establish causal relationships by introducing an intervention or treatment and observing the resulting effects.

Data from descriptive studies done in different populations or done at different times in the same population may help identify geographic variation and temporal change in the frequency of disease. This may help generate hypotheses regarding the cause of the disease, which can then be verified using another, more complex design. For instance, an ecological association between higher income level and greater cardiovascular mortality across countries may be related to a higher prevalence of obesity. Third, migration of people between regions with different exposure levels may also introduce an error. A fourth consideration may be the use of differing definitions for exposure, outcome or both in different populations. However, this design does carry a risk of bias, i.e., the results of the study may not represent the true situation in the population.

For this to happen a flexible approach is required and this is evident in the practice of ‘borrowing’ elements of other qualitative methodologies such as grounded theory, phenomenology and ethnography (Vaismoradi et al., 2013). This study explored factors contributing to the retention of nurses re-entering the workforce after a career break, resulting in the identification of five themes. The first two, “Conditions and support that sustain work-life balance” and “A workplace that acknowledges my career, and encourages my growth as an experienced nurse,” were identified as enablers, sustaining the participants’ continued engagement in work. While it is crucial to address the barriers encountered by nurses who wish to return to practice and have successfully done so, it is equally imperative to ensure the long-term sustainability of their careers following their return to work. However, the factors that contribute to the retention of these returners have not been thoroughly investigated. Conversely, Durand and Randhawa [34], Hammer and Craig [23] and Costantini, et al. [35] explored the experiences of nurses returning to work; however, they did not focus on the specific factors that facilitate retention.

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