Process / pipelineSurvey and observational design

Hierarchical Exploratory Quantitative Research

Hierarchical exploratory quantitative research is a survey and observational design that structures both sampling and analysis across nested population levels — such as students within classrooms within schools — to explore patterns, distributions, and relationships in numerical data without a pre-specified directional hypothesis. It is oriented toward discovery and description rather than confirmation, making it appropriate early in a research programme when the phenomenon is not yet well-mapped.

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Sources

  1. Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (4th ed.). Sage Publications. ISBN: 978-1452226101
  2. Babbie, E. (2016). The Practice of Social Research (14th ed.). Cengage Learning. ISBN: 978-1305104945

Related methods

ScholarGateHierarchical Exploratory Quantitative Research (Hierarchical Exploratory Quantitative Research Design). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/research-design/hierarchical-exploratory-quantitative-research