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For additional information on research methodology, search Psychology & Mental Health.  If you are off-campus, use your library number to access the online resources.

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• Action Research: Involves literature review, data analysis, measurement techniques, and evaluation criteria to formulate hypotheses in order to define and solve problems.
• Applied Research: Uses data from laboratory and field research and suggest a solution for real-world problems.
• Theoretical or Scientific Research: To understand and formulate new knowledge about a topic.  It can advance an existing theory or provide evidence to propose a new theory. Often used in academic research.
• Exploratory Research: Investigation of a problem similar to current ones with the premise that the variables are common to both situations.
• Evaluative research: Evaluative research aims to test the knowledge applied within a specific project instead of generating new knowledge or theories.
• Empirical Research: Empirical study sheds light on a specific problem in a real situation based on observed phenomena.   The results of this research are intended to result in improvements to a profession (applied research) or solve a specific problem in the workplace (action research).
• Historical Research: Method aims to reconstruct the past through the collection, evaluation, and verification of facts found in archival records, surveys, research journals, and diaries.  
• Qualitative Research: The purpose of this method is to shed new light on an area of study by gaining insights into past and existing problems. It is based on people’s experiences and cannot be analyzed numerically.  Methods include personal interviews, focus groups, and field studies.
• Quantitative Research – This type of research deals with standardized and structured measures, and often comes in the form of a survey using large samples. It attempts to explain a causal relationship between two variables. Data is collected in which statistics can be run to test the data.
• Survey research – a research method resting on the assumption that inferences about large populations can be made on the basis of a small survey sample.