What is the primary focus of explanatory research?

The primary focus of explanatory research is to establish direct causation between factors. This type of research aims to understand how and why certain variables are related, going beyond mere correlation to determine cause-and-effect relationships.

Explanatory research often employs experimental or quasi-experimental designs that can isolate variables and control for confounding factors, thereby allowing researchers to draw conclusions about how one variable influences another. This is crucial for developing theories and frameworks that explain underlying mechanisms of phenomena, which is essential in fields like social sciences, health, and economics.

In contrast, determining the effects of programs and policies is typically associated with evaluation research, while predicting future outcomes leans more towards forecasting and modeling approaches. Exploring the relationship between variables may be more aligned with descriptive or correlational research, rather than the deeper inquiry into causation that explanatory research seeks to achieve.