A topic in research methodology
Research in one of the major traditions, or paradigms, of research is often referred to as discovery.
"Confirmatory research sets out to test a specific hypothesis to the exclusion of other considerations; whereas discovery research seeks to find out what might be important in understanding a research context, presenting findings as conjectural (e.g., 'suggestive', 'indicative') rather than definite"
Taber, 2013: 45
Biddle and Anderson (1986) contrast their 'confirmatory position' with what they label the 'discovery perspective'. This term is used for approaches that,
"have in common the belief that social concepts and explanations are socially constructed by both citizens and social scientists. Social knowledge and its use are both assumed to be based on values …and social facts are uninterpretable outside of a theoretical, hence historical, context"
Biddle and Anderson, 1986: 237
The historian of science, Patricia Fara, describes how,
"Historians proceed heuristically, oscillating between reading, writing, and thinking. When you start out, you have little idea which path you will eventually tunnel out through a confusing mass of detailed information. It is only when you try to explain what you have already discovered that you come to realise where the gaps lie and where you will need to probe further."
Fara, 2012
When comparing work in the natural sciences (often undertaken with a positivist mindset) and disciplines such as history that rely on an interpretivist approach, it may seem that paradigmatic contrasts (such as 'discovery' versus 'confirmatory') belong in different domains of enquiry. Yet often in research into social phenomena (such as educational phenomena) it may make sense to see as discovery research as an exploratory phase necessary before confirmatory research can sensibly be employed.
"That much of educational research concerns the former, more exploratory, types of study may be partly related to the relative immaturity of educational research compared with the established natural sciences. However there are also inherent features of education that channel much research towards the discovery pole. One of these features…concerns the inherent complexity of educational phenomena, which are often embedded in situations from which they can not be readily be disembodied whilst retaining their integrity."
Taber, 2014
However, the corollary is that discovery research may not be seen as definitive, as it always invites a confirmatory follow-up to test its inferences. This is especially so if different studies offer competing accounts (or complementary accounts of relevant features where it may be important to identify the most significant factors at work).
"No choice between competing interpretations can be achieved through Verstehen [ital] itself. The interpretations remain arbitrary until they are subjected to a test in the usual manner."
Habermas, 1967/1998
Sources cited:
- Biddle, B. J., & Anderson, D. S. (1986). Theory, methods, knowledge and research on teaching. In M. C. Wittrock (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Teaching (3rd ed.) pp. 230-252. New York: Macmillan.
- Habermas, J. (1967/1988). On the logic of the social sciences (S. W. Nicholason & J. A. Stark, Trans.). Cambridge: Polity Press.
- Fara, Patricia (2012) Erasmus Darwin. Sex, science and serendipity. Oxford University Press
- Taber, K. S. (2013). Classroom-based Research and Evidence-based Practice: An introduction (2nd ed.). London: Sage.
- Taber, K. S. (2014). Methodological issues in science education research: a perspective from the philosophy of science. In M. R. Matthews (Ed.), International Handbook of Research in History, Philosophy and Science Teaching (Vol. 3, pp. 1839-1893): Springer Netherlands.
My introduction to educational research:
Taber, K. S. (2013). Classroom-based Research and Evidence-based Practice: An introduction (2nd ed.). London: Sage.
