ABSTRACT
Depending on their research objectives, researchers may select from three types of quantitative research designs: exploratory, descriptive, or causal. A research project could involve the use of just one or two designs, or all three. When all the types are used, a researcher begins with an exploratory study for preliminary identification of possible factors or variables, then moves to a descriptive study to define the salient or key variables, and concludes with a causal study such as an experiment to test the variables for strength of association or cause-and-effect relationships. For some reason, exploratory research is not discussed in any great detail in political science research textbooks; however, this important first-step design is important enough to merit greater attention. Therefore, this chapter looks at some of the ways that exploratory designs can be used in all the subfields of political science.
