Analytical and fundamental research –two important research methods to study an issue. Know their similarities and differences? NO? Okay, do not worry. READ THIS ARTICLE. 

Introduction

Whether you are a student of psychology, sociology, engineering, or any other field, research is very important. You cannot get your degree without submitting properly conducted research based on facts and figures. Different types of research currently exist, like analytical and fundamental research. Applied and descriptive research are also two types of research. But today’s article will only talk about the ones mentioned earlier. It will discuss all their similarities and differences in detail. But without going into details about those, let’s define both research types first.

What is fundamental research?

Fundamental research is also known as basic or pure research. It does not usually generate results that have an immediate effect. It means that this type of research is not mostly solution-driven. In fact, it is curiosity-driven research aimed at the expansion of knowledge rather than finding solutions. Hence, this type of research makes a contribution to the existing body of knowledge in a particular field.

Characteristics of fundamental research 

• It is systematic research that works according to a plan. First, the data is collected and then analysed to make a specific contribution.
• The results of this research are objective in nature. It means that you will not see any subjective impressions of the data.
• The basis of this research is the real facts about society. The conclusion of the research is verified by those facts.

If you are unable to maintain these in your research you should hire PhD dissertation writing services.

What does it mean by analytical research?

Another research method is the analytical method. It is a special type of research that involves critical thinking skills. The researcher evaluates the available facts critically and then draws the conclusion of the study. This research method is the most widely used one as it gives an accurate and authentic solution. It means that, unlike fundamental research, this method is a solution-driven research method. The analytical research focuses on understanding the cause and effect relationship between two variables by evaluating them critically.

Characteristics of analytical research 

• This type of research is done by following a set of predetermined steps. Those predetermined steps are mentioned in the analytical model.
• It does not provide results that are fool proof. The results are always open to some kind of change with time as the relationship between the variables changes.
• It provides the strongest pieces of evidence in support of the thesis statement.

Similarities between analytical and fundamental research

Having discussed both research types in much detail, it is time to shed some light on their similarities. Hence, a brief description of the similarities is as follows:

Both use the same data collection method 

The first similarity lies in the data collection method. Both types of research critically analyse the data to serve two different purposes. But the data collection methods are the same. Both use quantitative data from surveys, interviews, and focus groups. This similarity is only limited to the data collection. Both have different data analysis methods.

Both go side by side 

Another great similarity is that both analytical and fundamental research go side by side. One research gains the results, and the other use those results. Therefore, the results of the fundamental research form the basis of the analytical research. It is because fundamental research is about adding new knowledge to the existing literature body. Hence, both research methods go parallel to each other.

Methods of supporting the hypothesis are the same 

Both research methods employ the same methods to support the research hypothesis. The two methods most commonly used are inductive and deductive research. Inductive reasoning talks about the moving of the idea from the researcher to the observer. Whereas in the deductive method, the researcher moves and observation to an idea. Another similarity related to the hypothesis is that, at a certain level of testing, both research methods try to prove it.

Differences between analytical and fundamental research

After talking about the similarities, let’s discuss the differences between these two research methods. Hence, a brief description of the major differences is as follows:

Curiosity-driven vs solution-driven methods 

As described earlier, the fundamental research method aims at expanding the current knowledge. It does not provide any specific solution to a problem, as it is a curiosity-driven research method. It has nothing to do with the solutions to the problems.

On the other hand, the analytical research methods analyse the problems and propose a feasible solution. It means that this research method is solution-specific and drives solutions to problems after completion of the research.

Theoretical vs practical nature 

A clear difference lies in the nature of analytical and fundamental research. Fundamental research, also called basic research, is theoretical in nature. It explores the information that has not been applied yet and contributes to the existing knowledge. In contrast, analytical research is more practical. It looks at the problems in a practical way and offers solutions. It does not generate new knowledge. Rather it works on the already present literature.

The difference in the area of research 

A strong difference also lies in the working area of both research methods. The fundamental research is mostly done in the academic areas. The researcher does the research and expands the knowledge by considering the gaps already present in the literature. In the meantime, the analytical research is more active in the commercials area. Although it has its applications in academic research, mostly the businesses use this research to know the cause and effect of different variables.

Conclusion

Categorization of the research has seen a boost in the last century. It is because multiple fields have come into existence, which requires different angles to research the issue. Therefore, research methods like analytical and fundamental research are used. Both methods are similar in some ways, like the data collection methods. Differences between these methods are also there and are mentioned above in complete detail. So, you must read the information above to get a proper insight into the topic.