Title: 41.1 WHAT IS DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH?
Headings: 
41.1 What Is Descriptive Research?
41.1.1 The Nature of Descriptive Research

Content: 41.1 WHAT IS DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH? 41.1 What Is Descriptive Research? Descriptive research does not fit neatly into the definition of either quantitative or qualitative research methodologies, but instead it can utilize elements of both, often within the same study. The term descriptive research refers to the type of research question, design, and data analysis that will be applied to a given topic. Descriptive statistics tell what is, while inferential statistics try to determine cause and effect. The type of question asked by the researcher will ultimately determine the type of approach necessary to complete an accurate assessment of the topic at hand. Descriptive studies, primarily concerned with finding out "what is," might be applied to investigate the following questions: Do teachers hold favorable attitudes toward using computers in schools? What kinds of activities that involve technology occur in sixth-grade classrooms and how frequently do they occur? What have been the reactions of school administrators to technological innovations in teaching the social sciences?