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 explanation and validation. Exploration is principally about identifying the questions you want to ask. Techniques for exploration are often open-ended. They may be qualitative: ethnography, in-depth interviews, or detailed observation of behaviour whether in the lab or in the wild. However, this is also a stage that might involve (relatively) big data, for example if you have deployed software with logging, or have conducted a large-scale but open-ended survey. Data analysis may then be used to uncover patterns, which in turn suggest research questions. Note, you may not need this as a stage of research if you are beginning with an existing hypothesis, perhaps from previous phases of your own research, questions arising from other published work, or based on your own experiences.
Defined on page 11
Used on page 11