UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Explanatory research goes beyond description to investigate why and how certain phenomena occur by testing specific hypotheses about causal relationships among variables. It often uses more rigorous designs such as experiments or sophisticated statistical models to rule out alternative explanations. The goal is to build and confirm theories that explain observed patterns. Because the stem refers to research designed to test hypotheses about cause–effect relationships, explanatory research is the correct term.

Option A:
Exploratory research is conducted when the problem is not clearly defined and the researcher seeks to gain familiarity, generate ideas or identify variables, without strong prior hypotheses about cause and effect. It is thus less focused on hypothesis testing than explanatory research, so it does not fit the stem.

Option B:
Descriptive research aims to present an accurate picture of characteristics, frequencies or distributions of variables, answering “what” questions rather than “why.” It does not primarily test causal hypotheses, so descriptive research is not the right completion here.

Option C:
Explanatory research typically builds on earlier exploratory and descriptive work and requires careful control or statistical adjustment for confounding variables. Its emphasis on causal reasoning and hypothesis testing aligns exactly with the description given in the question.

Option D:
Diagnostic research is oriented toward identifying reasons for specific conditions or problems in applied contexts, such as why a particular programme is failing, but the term is less commonly used as a general label for testing causal hypotheses across variables. Therefore, diagnostic research is not the best answer.