DQ week two (1) and (2)
Applied research is defined as the scientific study together with the research that aims at providing solutions to practical problems. Applied research involves describing a particular individual or organization in-depth in an effort to understand the specific problem being investigated and to provide practical solutions if necessary. Applied research is only interested in a specific problem and not in making generalizations. Applied research is normally conducted by psychologists in the industrial and organizational fields. It is funded by private corporations who intend to solve specific problems in their organizations.
Basic research is conducted with the objective of providing insight into a particular issue or developing, altering or refining an existing theoretical explanation. Unlike applied research, basic research is more interested in making generalizations than in understanding a particular problem. In other words, while the main objective of applied research is problem solving, the main objective of basic research is the advancement of knowledge. Unlike applied research, basic research is normally conducted by academicians mostly in universities. Basic research normally depends on university funding, government grants and donor funding.
There are numerous similarities between applied research and basic research in industrial and organizational research. Firstly, they have the same subject matter; they are both concerned with human behavior and mental processes in businesses organizations. Secondly, they employ both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. However, most industrial and organizational researchers use quantitative research methodologies because most the problems of interest meet the main four objectives that are relevant to scientific understanding; description, control, explanation, and prediction.
Basic research and applied research have a profound effect on each other. Applied research may be a source of research problems for basic research. Since applied research is interested in solving a particular problem, it may trigger another researcher to conduct basic research on the problem in order to advance knowledge on the subject matter. Researchers conducting applied research may use knowledge from previous conducted basic research to refine their methodologies if the problem of interest is almost similar.
Qualitative and Quantitative Methods
Qualitative and quantitative methods in industrial and organizational research are both aimed at advancement of knowledge or problem solving with regard to human behavior and mental processes in businesses organizations. However, qualitative method relies mostly on non-numeric qualitative or data such as pictures, words and images; while quantitative methods rely on data that can be measured numerically. Therefore, the main objective of qualitative research is to interpret phenomena and/or develop a theory while the main objective of quantitative research is hypothesis testing in order to explain cause-and- effect relationships and/or to enable prediction.
The scientific emphasis or quantitative research is testing hypothesis and theories in an effort to confirm or falsify them while the scientific emphasis or qualitative research is to generate hypothesis or theories. Quantitative methods view mental processes are regular and hence predictable while qualitative methods view human mental processes as dynamic, social, situational, personal and contextual.
Quantitative methods are appropriate when the variables of the problem being studied can be quantitatively measured using numbers. It is also appropriate when the researcher intends to generalize the research findings. Qualitative research methods are appropriate when the data obtained is non numeric such as texts, images, words or documents. It is also appropriate when the researcher intends to make particular claims. Both quantitative methods and qualitative methods can be used together if the data obtained is both numeric and non-numeric. Both quantitative methods and qualitative methods can also be used together if the researcher intends to integrate particular and general finding in order to produce a practical theory. Lastly, both quantitative methods and qualitative methods can also be used together if the research combines both subjective and objective view of the world.
Christensen, L. B., Johnson, R. B., & Turner, L. (2011). Research Methods, Design, and Analysis. New Jersey: Prentice Hall .
Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (3, illustrated ed.). New York: Sage Publications.
Gravetter, F. J., & Forzano, L.-A. B. (2011). Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences (4 ed.). London: Cengage Learning.
