A Note on Exploratory Research

When a researcher has a limited amount of experience with or knowledge about a research issue, Exploratory Research is useful. It ensures that a more rigorous, more conclusive future study will begin with an inadequate understanding of the nature of the problem at hand. Usually, exploratory research provides greater understanding of a concept or crystallizes a problem. Exploratory research is initial research conducted to clarify and define the nature of a problem. Exploratory Research may be a single research investigation or a series of informal studies intended to provide background information Researchers must be creative in the choice of information sources to be investigated. They must be flexible enough to investigate all inexpensive sources that may possibly provide information to help understand a problem. This need to be flexible does not mean that researchers do not have to be careful and systematic when designing exploratory research studies.