Descriptive and Analytical Research
Chapter Eighty-Four
Syllabus topic 5, "Research Methods"
Pages 311 to 313 of 543
In one line
Descriptive research says what is the case; analytical research takes what is already known and works out what it means, and almost every dissertation needs both in that order.
In the wording a student can write in an exam: descriptive research sets out the characteristics of a situation, a group or a phenomenon as it exists, without manipulating any variable, and answers questions of what, where, when, how many and how often; analytical research takes facts or information already available, whether collected by the researcher or by others, and subjects them to critical evaluation, comparison and reasoning in order to explain relationships and reach conclusions.
Descriptive research
What it does. Establishes the facts of a situation as it stands.
Its questions. What is the case; how many; how often; in what proportion; where; among whom.
Its methods. Surveys, observation, the examination of records, and case studies.
Its defining limit. It does not manipulate anything and does not, by itself, explain. A description tells you that thirty-one of eighty-four clinic entries concerned one problem; it does not tell you why.
Its value in law is high and underrated, because in India the description is usually missing, chapter 740. Establishing carefully what is the case is a complete contribution, chapter 790.
Its Indian examples. The lists of undertrials behind Hussainara Khatoon, chapter 700; a count of how many colleges examine the clinical papers practically; a tabulation of a clinic's register.
Analytical research
What it does. Takes information that already exists and reasons about it: comparing, classifying, relating, criticising and explaining.
Its questions. Why is it so; what follows from it; is it consistent; what does it assume; how does it compare.
Its material. Facts already available, whether the researcher collected them or somebody else did. This is the crucial point: analytical work does not require fresh data collection.
Its methods. Critical reading, comparison, classification, and the ordinary techniques of legal reasoning.
Its defining limit. It can only work on what it is given. Analysis of inadequate description produces confident conclusions about nothing.
Its Indian examples. The 184th Report's demonstration that no statute defines standards of legal education, chapter 80; the argument at chapter 520 that six named causes produce the failure of clinical legal education; and most doctrinal writing, chapter 840.
Why almost every dissertation needs both
Description without analysis is a report. Fifty tables and no argument leaves the reader to do the work.
Analysis without description is speculation. An elegant argument about why something happens, where nobody has established that it happens, is a house without foundations.
The order matters. Describe first, then analyse. A researcher who begins with the explanation will find the description that fits it, which is the failure chapter 760 calls advocacy.
Descriptive and Analytical Research
And MU's dissertation structure assumes both. Its chapterisation, chapter 1320, runs from introduction through the substance to a chapter of analysis with findings and then conclusions and suggestions.
Distinctions
| Descriptive | Analytical | |
|---|---|---|
| Asks | What is the case | Why, what follows, is it consistent |
| Material | Collected by the researcher, usually fresh | Already available, whether or not fresh |
| Manipulates variables | No | No |
| Typical methods | Survey, observation, records, case study | Critical reading, comparison, classification |
| Fails when | It stops at the tables | Its description was inadequate |
| Product | Facts established | Explanation and evaluation |
Note one thing the table shows. Neither manipulates a variable, which is what distinguishes both from experimental work, chapter 1230.
A worked example
The clinic register of chapter 690, treated both ways.
Descriptively. Eighty-four entries in a year. Sorted by problem: thirty-one about obtaining documents from a municipal office, nineteen about wages, twelve about tenancy, and the rest scattered. Sorted by section 12 clause: fifty-two women, eleven in custody, the remainder on the income clause. Of those referred to a panel lawyer, four appear again in the register.
That is a complete descriptive finding and it did not exist before somebody read the register.
Analytically. Why are thirty-one of eighty-four about documents? Because a document is a precondition of every entitlement and the municipal office has no obligation the clinic can enforce. Why do only four of the referred people return? Either their matters were resolved, or the register does not record returns, or the referral failed. Those are three explanations and the description cannot choose between them, which tells the researcher exactly what to find out next.
Notice how the analysis generated the next question. That is what good analysis does, and it is why the two are a cycle rather than two boxes.
Quick revision
Descriptive research establishes what is the case, without manipulating any variable, answering what, where, when, how many and how often, by survey, observation, records and case study. It does not explain.
Analytical research reasons about information already available, whether the researcher collected it or not, asking why, what follows, and whether it is consistent, by critical reading, comparison and classification. It can only work on what it is given.
Both are needed, in that order. Description without analysis is a report; analysis without description is speculation; and beginning with the explanation produces a description chosen to fit it.
Neither manipulates a variable, which distinguishes both from experimental research.
Test yourself
1. Define descriptive and analytical research and give the key difference in their material. Descriptive research sets out the characteristics of a situation, group or phenomenon as it exists, without manipulating any variable. Analytical research takes information already available and subjects it to critical evaluation, comparison and reasoning. The key difference is that descriptive work usually collects fresh material while analytical work reasons about material that already exists, whoever collected it.
Descriptive and Analytical Research
2. Why does the order matter? Because a researcher who begins with an explanation will look for the description that fits it, which is advocacy rather than research. Describing first and analysing afterwards keeps the explanation answerable to the facts.
3. What does each fail at when used alone? Descriptive work alone produces a report of facts with no argument, leaving the reader to do the reasoning. Analytical work alone produces confident explanation of something nobody has established, which is speculation.
4. Show, with an example, how analysis generates the next question. A clinic register may show that only four of the people referred to a panel lawyer appear again. Analysis produces three possible explanations, that their matters were resolved, that returns are not recorded, or that referral failed. The description cannot choose between them, so the analysis has identified exactly what the researcher must find out next.
The rest of this subject
These notes are cut from the University's printed syllabus. Open the syllabus itself, or the past papers, for the same subject.