What is Explanatory research ?

Correct definition: Explanatory research explains the causes of social phenomena. It answers "why" questions by testing hypotheses and identifying causal relationships.

• Purpose: To explain causes and relationships rather than merely describe or explore.

• Approach: Uses hypothesis testing and methods aimed at causal inference (e.g., experiments, longitudinal studies, statistical modelling, controlled comparisons, and in-depth qualitative studies that test explanatory claims).

• Outcome: Produces explanations that help understand why phenomena occur and can inform theory or interventions.

Example: Describing the magnitude and nature of crimes committed by females is descriptive. Asking and testing why females commit crimes (identifying causal factors) is explanatory research.

Why the other statements are not definitions of explanatory research:

• The description that research studies subjects about which little or no information is available describes exploratory research, whose aim is to generate hypotheses, not to explain causes.

• The description that focuses on observing and describing social situations defines descriptive research, which documents what is happening but does not explain why.

• The statement characterizing knowledge as common-sense refers to folk or everyday knowledge; this is not systematic research and does not provide tested explanations.