DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH

Descriptive research aims to accurately and systematically describe a population,

situation or phenomenon. It can answer what, where, when and how questions,
but not why questions. A descriptive research design can use a wide variety
of research methods to investigate one or more variables. Unlike in experimental
research, the researcher does not control or manipulate any of the variables, but
only observes and measures them.

Descriptive Research Methods

Descriptive research is usually defined as a type of quantitative research, though
qualitative research can also be used for descriptive purposes. The research
design should be carefully developed to ensure that the results are valid and
reliable.
Surveys
Survey research allows you to gather large volumes of data that can be analyzed
for frequencies, averages and patterns. Common uses of surveys include:

 Describing the demographics of a country or region

 Gauging public opinion on political and social topics

 Evaluating satisfaction with a company’s products or an organization’s

services

Observations
Observations allow you to gather data on behaviors 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. Observation of physical entities and phenomena is also
an important part of research in the natural sciences. Before you can develop
testable hypotheses, models or theories, it’s necessary to observe and
systematically describe the subject under investigation.
Case studies
A case study can be used to describe the characteristics of a specific subject (such
as a person, group, event or organization). 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.

Rather than aiming to describe generalizable facts, case studies often focus on
unusual or interesting cases that challenge assumptions, add complexity, or
reveal something new about a research problem.

When to use a descriptive research design

Descriptive research is an appropriate choice when the research aim is to identify
characteristics, frequencies, trends, and categories.

It is useful when not much is known yet about the topic or problem. Before you
can research why something happens, you need to understand how, when and
where it happens.

Descriptive research question examples

 How has the Amsterdam housing market changed over the past 20 years?

 Do customers of company X prefer product X or product Y?

 What are the main genetic, behavioral and morphological differences

between European wildcats and domestic cats?

 What are the most popular online news sources among under-18s?

 How prevalent is disease A in population B?

Reference; https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/descriptive-
research/#:~:text=Descriptive%20research%20aims%20to
%20accurately,investigate%20one%20or%20more%20variables.