Finding solutions to problems is what science is all about, and that's what researchers set out to do. To uncover previously unknown or concealed information is the primary goal of research. Despite the fact that the goals of each research project are unique, they can generally be categorised as follows: 

The goals of research can be: 

1. to learn about a phenomenon or to gain new insights into it (these types of studies are known as exploratory or formulative research studies);

 2. to accurately portray the characteristics of an individual, situation, or group (these types of studies are known as descriptive research studies);

 3. to ascertain the frequency with which something occurs or is associated with something else (these types of studies are known as frequency analysis studies). 

Methodologies of Study

 There are numerous ways to categorise research. The following are a few examples of very common approaches to categorising studies. 

Research can be categorised into several different types, including: descriptive vs. analytical;

 applied vs. fundamental; qualitative vs. quantitative; conceptual vs. empirical. 

Investigating something's current state is the primary goal of descriptive study. Analytical research, on the other hand, seeks to test the veracity of hypotheses by careful examination of data. 

Applied research is conducted to aid in the development of new products, processes, and policies, as well as to answer questions about existing ones. The primary motivation for conducting fundamental research is the desire to gain new knowledge, rather than the need to immediately apply that knowledge. When conducting research, quantitative methods are used to examine data that cannot be reduced to a single numerical value.

Measurements and statistical methods are used extensively in quantitative studies. 

To conduct conceptual research, one must examine preexisting ideas in order to either come up with new ones or provide a rational interpretation of the ones that already exist. Empirical research, on the other hand, relies on data that has been gathered by direct observation of real-world phenomena or through controlled laboratory experiments.

 Various Other Forms of Study All other forms of research can be broken down into versions of the above in terms of their goals, the length of time needed to complete the research, the setting in which the research is conducted, or some other comparable feature. From a temporal perspective, studies can be either standalone or part of a larger body of work known as longitudinal research.

 The former involves studies that cover only a single time period, whereas the later encompasses a wider range of intervals. The setting in which a study is conducted determines whether it is categorised as field research, laboratory research, or simulation research. The term "research" can also refer to studies aimed at improving medical diagnosis and treatment. These studies typically use case studies or in-depth approaches to get at the underlying causal connections. Using extremely small samples and extremely deep probing data collection devices, such investigations typically delve deeply into the reasons of objects or events that interest us. The investigation could be informal in nature or more formally conducted. 

Exploratory research aims to generate hypotheses rather than test them, while formal research investigations have a more rigid framework and testable hypotheses. Research into the past, including the thoughts and philosophies of individuals and communities from the distant past, is called historical research. The goals of a study can either be discovery or application. A researcher can choose an issue at will, rethink the inquiry as he goes, and form whatever mental models he sees fit while drawing conclusions.

When conducting choice-oriented research, the researcher is not at liberty to pursue topics of interest to him or herself; rather, the research must serve the needs of a decision maker. As a scientific approach to supplying executive departments with a quantitative basis for decisions involving operations under their control, operations research is a prime example of decision oriented research. Methodologies for Research From what has been discussed thus far, it should be clear that there are at least two distinct ways to do research: the quantitative and the qualitative. The former requires the development of quantitative data amenable to formal and rigid quantitative analysis. This methodology can be broken down even further into inferential, experimental, and simulation studies. To infer population traits or associations, researchers use inferential methods to compile databases. This is most commonly done through survey research, in which a subset (or sample) of a community is investigated (by questioning or observation) to conclude that the entire population has certain qualities. Some factors are altered to examine their effect on other variables, a hallmark of the experimental technique that allows for far better control over the research setting. The goal of the simulation method is to create a simulated setting in which real-world data and information can be generated. This allows for the controlled observation of the dynamic behaviour of a system (or its sub-system). 'Simulation' means "the running of a numerical model that represents the structure of a dynamic process" when applied to fields like business and the social sciences. Simulation is done to simulate the behaviour of the process over time given the values of beginning circumstances, parameters, and exogenous variables.

 Building models of the future via a simulation method can be helpful as well. The focus of qualitative research is on in-depth analysis of human emotions, thoughts, and actions. In this kind of study, the researcher's own intuitions and thoughts will play a significant role. Research conducted in this manner typically yields findings that cannot be reduced to quantitative form or that are not subjected to such examination. Common methods include depth interviews, projective techniques, and focus groups.

Strategies for Research vs. Methodology

 It is timely to differentiate between research methodologies and research methodology.A broad definition of "research methods" might include everything from interviews to statistical analyses. To this end, researchers often refer to the processes by which they conduct their studies as "research methods" or "research techniques." In other words, research methods encompass everything a researcher does to dig into his research problem. Since the goal of research, especially applied research, is to find a workable solution to a problem, it follows that the known and unknown elements of that problem must be connected in some way. 

In light of this, the following three categories can be used to classify research techniques:

 Methods that focus on information gathering make up the first category. If the information at hand is insufficient, these techniques will be employed; if relationships between the data and the unknowns need to be established, these techniques will be used; and if the results obtained need to be evaluated for accuracy, these techniques will be employed. Methods from the last two categories are the ones most commonly used as analytical instruments in research. Methodology in research is the approach taken to systematically address the research issue. It could be thought of as the study of the scientific method itself. There, we get into the reasoning behind the standard procedures a researcher follows when examining his research problem. The researcher needs to be well-versed in both research methodology and research methodologies and procedures. It is not enough for a researcher to know how to develop an index or test, how to calculate the mean, mode, median, or standard deviation, how to apply particular research techniques, or even what the results of these calculations would mean and indicate. Researchers also need to be familiar with the assumptions made by different methods, as well as the criteria for determining whether or not a given method or procedure will be appropriate for a given problem.

 As a result, it is up to the researcher to tailor his or her methodology to the specifics of their study problem. When designing a building, an architect, for instance, must give serious thought to the rationale behind every choice he makes, such as the number, size, and placement of doors, windows, and vents; the choice of building materials; and so on. Similarly, before acting on any study decisions, the scientist should put them to the test. In order for his choices to be evaluated by others, he must provide highly specific details about them. Based on what has been discussed so far, it is clear that research methods are an integral aspect of the research methodology. When compared to research methodologies, research methodology covers a broader range of topics. Thus, when discussing research methodology, we not only discuss the research methods, but also consider the rationale for the methods we use in the context of our research study, and explain why we are using a particular method or technique and why we are not using others, allowing for the evaluation of research results by the researcher and/or by other interested parties. Research methodology typically addresses questions like "why this study was conducted," "how the research problem was defined," "how and why the hypothesis was formulated," "what data were collected," "why this particular method of data analysis was adopted," and "why this particular technique of data analysis was used," among many others.