Some other components to consider in the process of research, as you dive in to creating your good research question, is to determine the kind of research you will be conducting as an educational researcher. Below are some general kinds of research you may be involved in.
- Basic research focuses on generating fundamental knowledge
- Applied research focuses on real-world questions and applications
- Evaluation research focuses on determining the worth, merit, or quality of intervention programs
- Action research focuses on solving local problems that we face as a practioner
- Orientational research focuses on reducing inequality and giving voice to the disadvantaged
Further to figuring out the kind of research you will be conducting, you’ll explore several other decision points around your research. For instance you will need to ask yourself if this research is primary or secondary research. Primary research simply suggests you will need to gather new data that has not been collected before, whereby secondary research involves gathering existing data that has already been produced (Leary, Childs & Zornes, 2017). As well as, what research methods will you lean into to help you gather and explore the answers to your research question. Qualitative research is primarily used to gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations. Quantitative research is used to quantify the problem, typically through data, analytics, reports, and statistics. Mixed research combines the quantitative and qualitative research methods and approaches in order to exam, explore, and solve issues and problems (Johnson, & Christensen, 2014).
References
Leary, T., Childs, E., & Zornes, D. (2017, May 24). Conducting a Systematic Literature Review. [YouTube]. Research Shorts.
Johnson, R.B. & Christensen, L. (2014). Chapter 2. Educational Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Approaches.(p. 33-35). Sage Publishing.