exploratory study

USAGE SUMMARY

"exploratory study" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it when referring to an investigation or research into an area that is not well understood in order to gain a better understanding. An example sentence would be: "The scientists conducted an exploratory study of the unknown region."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Academia

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

An Exploratory Study.

Harvard University

Longitudinal descriptive exploratory study.

Musculoskeletal Science and Practice

Design: Cross-sectional exploratory study.

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Design: This was a prospective, exploratory study.

Journal of WOCN

Findings from this exploratory study were threefold.

European Journal of Operational Research

Histories of violence in an outpatient population: an exploratory study.

Harvard University

Learner-generated noticing of L2 input: An exploratory study.

Columbia University

An exploratory study into whether self-monitoring improves adherence to daily flossing among dental patients.

Nature

At the final visit of the exploratory study, the blinded research assistant assessed patients (Day 49).

Nature

Since this was an exploratory study, no formal power or sample-size estimation was performed.

Nature

This was an exploratory study with a cross sectional design.

Research in Developmental Disabilities

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "exploratory study", clearly state the research question or area being explored to provide context and avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid drawing definitive conclusions from an "exploratory study". Emphasize that the findings are preliminary and require further investigation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "exploratory study" functions as a noun phrase that identifies a type of research. It signifies a preliminary investigation conducted to explore a topic or phenomenon in order to gain initial insights, as supported by Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

73%

Academia

20%

News & Media

3%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "exploratory study" is a grammatically correct and very common noun phrase used to describe a preliminary research investigation. According to Ludwig, it's primarily used in scientific and academic contexts to indicate that the study aims to explore a topic, generate hypotheses, or identify key variables. While drawing definitive conclusions from such studies is discouraged, it's a valuable tool for gaining initial insights and informing future research. Alternative phrases like "preliminary investigation" and "pilot study" can be used depending on the specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

preliminary investigation

Focuses on the initial aspect of the study, highlighting its role as a starting point.

pilot study

Emphasizes the trial nature of the study, often conducted before a larger-scale research project.

feasibility study

Highlights the assessment of whether a project or study is viable.

initial assessment

Underlines the role of the study in providing an early evaluation or overview.

scoping review

Implies a broad examination to identify the scope of available research on a topic.

descriptive study

Highlights the characteristic of describing a phenomenon as it occurs naturally.

preliminary research

Focuses on the early stages of research, suggesting that further investigation is likely.

investigative study

Highlights the act of investigating a specific subject.

reconnaissance survey

Similar to exploratory, suggesting an initial survey to gather information.

groundwork research

Indicates that the study lays the foundation for future research.

FAQs

How can I use "exploratory study" in a sentence?

You can use "exploratory study" to describe research conducted to explore a topic when the issue is new or not clearly understood. For example, "The team conducted an exploratory study to understand the impact of social media on teenagers".

What is another way to say "exploratory study"?

Alternatives include "preliminary investigation", "pilot study", or "feasibility study", depending on the specific context.

What are the limitations of an "exploratory study"?

Exploratory studies often have small sample sizes and lack rigorous controls, making it difficult to generalize findings. Results should be interpreted as preliminary and hypothesis-generating.

Is an "exploratory study" qualitative or quantitative?

An "exploratory study" can be either qualitative or quantitative, or use a mixed-methods approach, depending on the research question and objectives. Qualitative methods are often used to gain initial insights, while quantitative methods may be used to test preliminary hypotheses.