From entry explanation stage in glossary Statistics for HCI: Making Sense of Quantitative Data
One of three main uses of empirical work during research, which often relate to the stages or goals of a research project. The other two are exploration and validation. The explanation stage is about working out why an observation is true, and how it happens in detail. The method may be theory based or qualitative and helps to establish mechanism.
Used in Chap. 8: page 110