What is Exploratory Research and how to use it?

Welcome to the world of exploratory research, a method designed to shine a light on the unknown and guide you through the unexplored. As a UX Researcher, I absolutely LOVE doing discovery research. I’ve used it to find product market fit at a startup where we were looking for our first 100 users! I’ve even used it for existing products in the market to research our competitors to find out what features we were lacking. 

In this article, I will go over what exactly is exploratory research (discovery research) and how you can conduct it and specifically which research methods you can use to do it.

What is exploratory research?

Instead of aiming for clear answers, exploratory research helps you gather hints and ideas that can later be used to dig deeper. It’s about asking open-ended questions, the kind that lets people speak their minds freely. An example of a puzzling and unclear problem could look something like this: ‘Who are our primary users and what are their goals?”.

When can you use exploratory research?

First, when you’re facing a problem that’s new and you’re not sure where to start. For instance, say you’ve just come up with a groundbreaking idea for a product that nobody has seen before. You can use exploratory research to peek into people’s minds and understand what they think about your idea, and even get a sense of how much they might be willing to pay for it. It’s like getting a glimpse into the future before you take the big leap.

Second, when you’re dealing with something totally new, like a brand-new product. For example, consider a situation where you’ve invented a smart gadget that can translate your pet’s sounds into understandable words. Since this kind of product has never been on the market before, exploratory research comes to the rescue. You can use it to explore how pet owners feel about this idea, what concerns they might have, and whether they find it valuable enough to invest in.

Lastly, if you’re not sure what to test, exploratory research is like a map that guides you to form predictions and guesses. For example, let’s say you’re working for a fitness company and you want to launch a new workout program. Instead of jumping straight into designing the program and hoping it resonates with your audience. You might conduct interviews or surveys to learn about people’s current fitness routines, their preferences, and their pain points.

6 Reasons Why You Need to Know How To Do Exploratory Research

Here are some compelling reasons why mastering the art of exploratory research is essential:

1. Unraveling the Unseen: 

Sometimes, problems are like hidden treasures waiting to be discovered. Exploratory research helps you unearth these gems by allowing you to venture into uncharted territories, uncovering dimensions you might never have imagined.

2. Minimizing Costs, Maximizing Interaction: 

Exploratory research doesn’t require a hefty budget or elaborate setups. It’s the art of simplicity – interactive interviews, open-ended questions, and candid discussions. You engage directly with participants, creating a valuable dialogue that enriches your understanding.

3. The Puzzle of “What”: 

While explanatory research focuses on the “why,” exploratory research delves into the “what.” It helps you identify what the problem is, outline its contours, and set the stage for future investigations.

4. It can be both Qualitative and Quantitative: 

While exploratory research leans towards qualitative methods, it’s flexible enough to incorporate quantitative data when needed. It’s a versatile tool that adapts to your research needs, ensuring you gather insights from all angles.

5. The Starting Line of Knowledge: 

Exploratory research is done usually where no other UX research has been done. It is the first step in the research process and precedes explanatory research. Since you start with no research, you will have to come up with a few hypotheses to test.

6. Open-Ended Exploration: 

There are no rulebooks in exploratory research. It’s a blank canvas where you choose the colors, techniques, and brushes that best suit your research landscape. Flexibility and an open mind are your guiding principles.

In the realm of exploratory research, you’re not just a researcher – you’re an adventurer, an investigator, and a visionary. It’s the foundation upon which you build your understanding, the initial strokes that give shape to your masterpiece of knowledge.

Exploratory Research: Types and Methodologies

In this section we will discuss two types of exploratory research as well as the types of research methods you can use to conduct exploratory research:

Primary Research

Primary research is the firsthand explosion of discovery. It’s the thrilling journey where you gather fresh data straight from the source, whether through surveys, interviews, or experiments. It is usually carried out by a UX researcher, start up founder or really anyone looking to dig deeper into the unknown. If you are the one carrying out the research read my article on the 15 best user testing tools & usability testing tools of 2023.

Focus groups

A focus group is where people have been specifically chosen based on a set criteria, for example a focus group could consist of people who bought a specific brand of laptops in the last 6 months, to take part in group discussions consisting of 5 to 10 people led by a person moderating the group.

Surveys

Surveys are a quantitative research method used in the exploratory research stage to gather data quickly and cheaply. You are not going to be able to go in depth into ‘why’ the problem is happening but you will surely be able to understand ‘what’ is happening within your problem space. For example, you could use a survey to understand people’s opinions about the different brands of mobile phones they purchase.

Secondary Research

Also known as desk research, secondary research is like diving into a treasure trove of existing information. It’s all about mining data from sources like books, articles, reports, and studies that others have already conducted. It helps you grasp the landscape before you set out on your own journey. You scour through existing data to uncover patterns, trends, and insights. This groundwork informs your direction and primes you for deeper investigations.

Desk research

Doing research online is always my go-to whenever I start exploratory research. There is so much information that has already been researched. Through online research, you dive into a world of articles, databases, and reports, extracting valuable insights that others have uncovered.

Literature Review

Literature research is an intellectual expedition through written works to uncover insights, trends, and established knowledge on a specific topic. It involves scouring books, academic articles, reports, and scholarly journals. To conduct effective literature research, analyze and synthesize the gathered information to identify patterns, gaps, and prevailing viewpoints. This method equips you with a solid foundation before embarking on your own research journey. It’s like drawing from the collective wisdom of predecessors to enrich your understanding and insights.

How To Conduct Exploratory Research?

Here are the 12 steps I take to conduct exploratory research:

Step 1: Define Your Objective

Clearly outline the goal of your exploratory research. What do you aim to explore or understand better? It could be a new problem, a potential opportunity, or an emerging trend.

Step 2: Formulate Research Questions

Craft open-ended questions that align with your objective. These questions should guide your exploration and help you gather relevant insights. For instance, if you’re researching consumer preferences for a new product, your questions could revolve around their needs, preferences, and pain points.

Step 3: Choose Data Collection Methods

Select appropriate methods to gather data. Common methods include interviews, focus groups, surveys, and observation. Depending on your objective, choose methods that allow you to gather qualitative and diverse perspectives.

Step 4: Identify Participants

These individuals should possess insights relevant to your research objective. Whether it’s customers, experts, or stakeholders, ensure they represent a variety of viewpoints.

Step 5: Conduct Data Collection

If you’re conducting interviews or focus groups, guide conversations based on your research questions. If surveys are your approach, design them to gather the required insights.

Step 6: Record and Document

Thoroughly document your data. Record interviews, transcribe discussions, or collate survey responses. This ensures you don’t miss any valuable insights during analysis.

Step 7: Analyze the Data

Look for patterns, trends, and recurring themes. This process might involve coding qualitative data, quantifying survey responses, or categorizing information.

Step 8: Refine Your Hypotheses

Based on the insights gained from your data analysis, refine or adjust your hypotheses. Remember, exploratory research allows for flexibility in hypothesis formulation.

Step 9: Synthesize Findings

Organize insights, observations, and patterns in a way that addresses your research questions and supports your refined hypotheses.

Step 10: Draw Conclusions

What insights have you gained? How do they shed light on your research objective? Keep in mind that exploratory research might not provide definitive answers, but it should offer valuable insights.

Step 11: Determine Next Steps

Reflect on your exploratory research’s outcomes. Do your findings warrant further investigation? Are there specific areas that require more focused research? Decide if additional research steps are necessary.

Step 12: Communicate Your Findings

Share your exploratory research findings with relevant stakeholders. This could be through presentations, reports, or discussions. Highlight the insights you’ve gained and the potential implications for future actions or decisions.

By following this step-by-step approach, you’ll be able to carry out exploratory research like a professional.

What Are The Advantages and disadvantages of exploratory research?

While the advantages of exploratory research, such as generating fresh insights and adapting to evolving scenarios, are undeniable, it’s crucial to be mindful of potential drawbacks, like subjectivity and limited generalization.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the process of exploratory research empowers you to adeptly define objectives, craft hypotheses, embrace flexible methodologies, and decipher insightful data, leading you on a transformative journey of discovery that unveils new dimensions and perspectives. 

Whether you’re a seasoned researcher seeking innovative approaches or a curious newcomer eager to delve into the realm of exploratory research, this guide furnishes you with the knowledge to deftly navigate the intricacies of this approach.

FAQ

What is exploratory research design?

Exploratory research design is an investigative approach used to delve into new and unfamiliar topics, aiming to uncover insights, patterns, and relationships. It involves flexible methods like interviews, focus groups, and observations to gather qualitative data.

What is the purpose of exploratory research?

The purpose of exploratory research is to explore and understand a subject when little prior information is available. It aids in identifying potential problems, generating hypotheses, and refining research questions for more focused studies. Exploratory research sets the stage for deeper investigations, helping researchers grasp nuances and complexities.

Is exploratory research qualitative or quantitative?

Exploratory research is primarily qualitative in nature. It focuses on gathering subjective insights, opinions, and experiences. Through methods like interviews and discussions, it uncovers diverse perspectives and in-depth understanding, emphasizing quality over quantity.

When exploratory research is used?

Exploratory research is used in various scenarios:

• When a problem is new and poorly understood.
• To generate initial hypotheses and research questions.
• Before conducting larger-scale quantitative studies.
• To explore emerging trends or phenomena.
• When there’s a need for a diverse range of perspectives.
• In situations where little or no existing data exists.