One way to approach a research problem is through a set of research objectives. Social research can pursue many objectives. It can explore, describe, understand, explain, predict, change, evaluate or assess aspects of social phenomena.
- To explore is to attempt to develop an initial rough description or, possibly, an understanding of some social phenomenon.
- To describe is to provide a detailed account or the precise measurement and reporting of the characteristics of some population, group or phenomenon, including establishing regularities.
- To explain is to establish the elements, factors or mechanisms that are responsible for producing the state of or regularities in a social phenomenon.
- To understand is to establish reasons for particular social action, the occurrence of an event or the course of a social episode, these reasons being derived from the ones given by social actors.
- To predict is to use some established understanding or explanation of a phenomenon to postulate certain outcomes under particular conditions.
- To change is to intervene in a social situation by manipulating some aspects of it, or by assisting the participants to do so, preferably on the basis of established understanding or explanation.
- To evaluate is to monitor social intervention programmes to assess whether they have achieved their desired outcomes, and to assist with problem solving and policy-making.
- To assess social impacts is to identify the likely social and cultural consequences of planned projects, technological change or policy actions on social structures, social processes and/or people.
The first five objectives are characteristic of basic research, while the last three are likely to be associated with applied research. Both types of social research deal with problems: basic research with theoretical problems, and applied research with social or practical problems.
Basic research is concerned with advancing fundamental knowledge about the social world, in particular with description and the development and testing of theories.
Applied research is concerned with practical outcomes, with trying to solve some practical problem, with helping practitioners accomplish tasks, and with the development and implementation of policy. Frequently, the results of applied research are required immediately, while basic research usually has a longer time frame.
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