Empirical Research: Definition, Types, and Methods

Empirical research, one of the most used terms in a student's life. No matter what level of degree you are studying, you must know what empirical research is and what its types are. This blog will help you with all the information you need to make this term easy and simple for you. Empirical research means conducting research using real-life data so that you can find valid and original results. 

Here in this blog, you have answers for all your questions, starting from what empirical research is, so that you can become familiar with this term. Next is understanding the types of empirical research. We have explained each type in a detailed manner so that you can understand which type is best for you. We have even mentioned ways through which you can find the best suitable type of empirical research for your research question. Empirical research is required in your essay, dissertation, and in research projects in UK higher education. 

What is Empirical Research?

Empirical research is a research method that helps you gain knowledge through both direct and indirect observations and experience. This research is based on evidence that is gathered in the real world; there is no use of theory and logic in this research. Researchers go through many ways, which include surveys, results, field observation and measurements and analyse the collected data to answer their research questions, come to a conclusion or test any hypothesis. The main aim is to collect the data using real-life evidence.

Key Features: 

Let’s understand what the key features of empirical research are for better learning: 

• Measurement and observation: This systematically includes measurement and observation, for any variables, behaviours or events.

• Collection of data: Researchers collect data through various ways from where they can get real-life evidence, which includes experiments, interviews, observations and surveys.

• Quantitative and qualitative data: Data that you collect can be numerical, which indicates quantitative and non-numeric that represents qualitative data, represented in the research design.

• Objectivity and replicability: Empirical research focuses on objectivity rather than any type of researcher's bias. It allows you to show the real image, which will even help future researchers in researching the same field to verify their results.

• Conclusion: Empirical research gets you findings that are based on real-life evidence, with having aim of generalising results for larger populations.

Major Types of Empirical Research

Here are the main types of Empirical Research. There is a different type for each type of data collection. If you are looking for numerical data, you should go with Quantitative whereas on the other hand, if you want theoretical data, you should select qualitative data.

Quantitative Empirical Research

A qualitative research approach is applied in the collection of non-quantitative information. It is applied in arriving at the underlying reasons, perceptions or meanings by the participants or subjects of a study. In the context of the qualitative research design, empirical studies have been developed to challenge the traditional notions of evidence and truth without neglecting the basic principles of identifying the subject beings under the empirical observance. The main contribution of the quantitative methods is that they assist the researcher in interpreting the collected data better. The following are the most typical examples of quantitative methods of research:

Experiment:

An experiment is usually used to test a research hypothesis, and it entails the establishment of a controlled condition where the variables are manipulated. Also, other than identification of cause and effect, this technique helps in knowing testing results, e.g. in case of changing or dropping variables.

Survey:

A survey research is meant to produce statistics of a target audience. Surveys may use large, medium or small population sizes and may be a one-time process or an ongoing process. Some of the extensive users of continuing surveys are governments in different parts of the world, like a census of the population or a labour force survey. It is a quantitative technique that involves preset groups of closed questions that are simple to respond to, hence allowing the accumulation and examination of extensive amounts of data.

Causal-Comparative research:

This approach makes use of the power of comparison. It is used mostly to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between variables. As an example, a causal-comparative study quantified the productivity of workers working in a place that enables them to establish a work-from-home environment and compared them to the employees of a different place that does not provide a work-from-home setup.

Cross-sectional research

Whereas the observation method assumes the subjects of study at a particular point over time, cross-sectional research that are concerned with the study is interested in how all other variables are similar.  In this type, it is not possible to determine cause-and-effect relationships as subjects are now monitored continuously.

Longitudinal Study

A longitudinal research process is applied in the study of the characteristics or actions of a subject being studied after repeatedly testing the subject during a particular period of time. Information gathered by this means may be of a qualitative or quantitative nature.

Correlational Research

This is a method employed in establishing the relationships and prevalence of variables. It normally uses regression as the statistical methodology to predict the outcomes of the study, which are only negative, neutral or positive correlation.

One of the classical illustrations of empirical research involving correlational research would be when examining whether a higher level can help one gain jobs with better remuneration. Should the consequences prove that higher education enables one to secure a high-paid job, then it implies that less educated people are more likely to occupy lower-paid jobs.

 

 

 

 

 

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Qualitative Empirical Research

Quantitative research  Quantitative research is applied to collect data through the use of numerical data. It is a type that is used to determine behaviour, personal views, preferences, and other variables. Quantitative studies are more organised, and the variables utilised are determined. Quantitative research is conducted to obtain data that is analysed to answer the empirical questions. Polls, surveys, and longitudinal or cohort studies are some of the methods of quantitative methods commonly used.

The examples of research questions should be collected and processed either qualitatively or quantitatively, as the study is of a specific character. These not only provide the answers to the empirical questions but also outline the scope of work of the person. These are the broad categories of qualitative research methods.

Observational Method

This is the process of monitoring and data collection of the study subjects. Being a qualitative research method, observation is rather personal and time-consuming. It is frequently applied in ethnographic research to ensure empirical findings.

A portion of the ethnographic research design is the observational method, e.g., archival research, survey, etc. But despite its qualitative application, observation can also be applied in quantitative research, such as in cases where observable variables like weight, age, scale, etc., are to be observed.

Interview

It is a purely qualitative method and one of the most common ones. It is primarily popular since it enables the researcher to get accurate and relevant information as long as one poses the right questions. This is a conversational style of method, in which detailed information could be gathered. The interviews are more often associated with social sciences and humanities, like interviewing resource persons.

Case Study

This approach is adopted in order to extract widespread information by conducting a profound research on the cases at hand. It is normally applied to get empirical information for investigating problems or business research.

When carrying out case studies, the researcher should necessarily carry out the empirical analysis, where the variables and parameters of the current case are similar to those that are under scrutiny. Based on the results of a case study, it is possible to draw conclusions related to the issue under study.

Textual Analysis

This is mainly done through the process of describing, interpreting and understanding text contents. It generally aims at relating the text to a wider artistic, cultural, political, or social background.

Textual analysis is a relatively new research method that is currently being utilised to expound on the trends and patterns of media content, particularly social media. Information gathered by this method is mainly utilised in establishing customer purchasing behaviour and product preferences towards product development and marketing campaign design.

Focus Groups

A focus group is a well-organised discussion which is facilitated by a moderator and which is carried out with the aim of coming up with views on a specific subject. Fundamentally, a group interview or discussion, this process provides a rather significant way to consider certain issues or concerns.

Mixed Methods Empirical Research

Mixed methods research involves the integration of both quantitative research and qualitative research so that it can respond to your research question. It is possible that mixed methods would assist you to have a better perspective of a single quantitative or qualitative research, as it incorporates the advantages of both approaches.

The mixed methods research is frequently applied to behavioural, health, and social sciences, particularly in the context of multidisciplinary studies, as well as in the studies of complex situations or society.

Mixed methods are useful for research questions like: “How much are the frequency of traffic accidents (quantitative) indicators of the perceptions of cyclists on road safety (qualitative) in Amsterdam?”

The mixed methods research is potentially the option when your research procedure indicates that quantitative or qualitative data will inadequately address your research question. The use of mixed methods research has several typical reasons:

·       Generalisability: The sample size in qualitative research is generally lower, and therefore it is not generalisable. Mixed methods research solves this comparative weakness by the comparative strength of large N, externally valid quantitative research.

·       Contextualisation: Mixing methods enables you to place findings into context and provide more detail to your findings. Qualitative data may be used to exemplify quantitative results to put meat on the bones of your analysis.

·       Credibility: It is possible to use alternative means of gathering information on the same topic and make your findings more credible. When both qualitative and quantitative data match, then this increases the validity of your conclusions. This is referred to as triangulation.

How to Find Which Type of Empirical Research is Required

Your research question and objectives, practical and theoretical considerations mainly define the kind of empirical research you need (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods).

The main considerations for the choice of research type.

• Quantitative Research: The method to use when you wish to test or prove a theory/hypothesis, quantify variables and describe numerical relationships or patterns. It is usually posed as the number of, how much or what the relationship is between variables.

• Qualitative Research: Aim to gain a deeper insight into a concept, thought, or experience, a poorly researched problem, or to experience and believe subjectively in a particular context. It generally poses questions like "what is" or "how it is that" a phenomenon is done, and it concerns the context and interpretation.

• Mixed Methods Research Mixed methods research is used when you believe that either of the two methods used alone will not adequately address your complex research question, or you desire to explain quantitative results using qualitative data (or the reverse), or when you desire to triangulate (cross-validate) results to gain greater credibility.

Conclusion

We hope that now you are familiar with the term Empirical Research. Now, whenever your teachers ask you to do empirical research for your dissertation, assignment or any essay, you do not need to stress out and know exactly what you have to do.

As empirical research only sounds like something extraordinary when we do not know about it. But once we know it is basically a research method that requires real-life evidence as your data and information that you are going to use. Then we understood the types of empirical research, where you can choose any type according to your research.

There are many types, though, but we can shrink them into 3 types, which are quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods of empirical research. Qualitative is there if you want to collect data that is non-numeric, and quantitative is there if you need numerical data, and a combination of both, your mixed data that is there if you need both of them. With this, sometimes it becomes more complicated for you to understand which type of empirical research is best for you. In this blog, you have a solution for that as well.