What is the Meaning of the Descriptive Method in Research?

Descriptive statistics can be used to summarize the results of descriptive research.

Descriptive research is concerned with the description of data and characteristics about a population. The goal is the acquisition of factual, accurate and systematic data that can be used in averages, frequencies and similar statistical calculations. Descriptive studies seldom involve experimentation, as they are more concerned with naturally occurring phenomena than with the observation of controlled situations.

The Five Ws

Descriptive research is concerned with the description of the existing distribution of variables, as opposed to theory building. Or, in plain language, descriptive studies focus on answering the basic W questions: Who, what, when, where. The fifth W, "why" falls outside of the scope of descriptive research, that by definition must not concern itself with the effect that one variable has on another.

Descriptive Methods

There are many tools available to the researcher interested in descriptive studies. Case studies can provide a detailed analysis of a single person or event, while case series can aggregate multiple cases in a single report. In medical research, prevalence studies describe the health of populations, while social scientist can rely on a mix of observation and ethnography if they are careful not to affect the phenomenon under observation. Archival research, based on analysis of preexisting records and data, can be used to study subjects where fieldwork is not practical.

Descriptive Statistics

Descriptive research can often be made clearer by using descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics can present quantitative information in a manageable form, providing simple summaries. Statistical tools can also assisting the creation of graphs for the visualization of the data. Unlike inferential statistics, descriptive statistics make no attempt to reach conclusions or make inferences from the available data.

Applications

While they cannot offer theories or explanations about the phenomenon being researched, descriptive studies can act as useful "toes in the water" for new areas of inquiry. They can illuminate promising areas for future research, measure the importance and prevalence of a given situation, measure trends, and assist in the generation of hypothesis that can be later tested by means of alternate methods.

Limitations

A frequent error in reports based on descriptive studies in overstepping the data, drawing inferences and arriving to conclusions that by definition cannot be supported within a descriptive framework. If the description of the data seems to suggest a causal relationship, it must be explored and rigorously tested in a subsequent and analytical study.

References

• ECHT: Descriptive Studies
• Social Research Methods: Descriptive Statistics
• OK State: Research Design in Occupational Education