For example: Pharmaceutical companies use empirical research to try out a specific drug on controlled groups or random groups to study the effect and cause. This way they prove certain theories they had proposed for the specific drug.

Normative statements contain value judgments. Often they contain words like should or should not, better or worse. Empirical statements describe what is in the social world, without evaluating it. They are statements that can be measured empirically.

Empirical research is research that is based on observation and measurement of phenomena, as directly experienced by the researcher. The data thus gathered may be compared against a theory or hypothesis, but the results are still based on real life experience.

Definition: Empirical research is a research approach that makes use of evidence-based data while non-empirical research is a research approach that makes use of theoretical data. Empirical data refers to information that is gathered through experience or observation.

The term empiricism refers to a direct observation to obtain knowledge. Yes, everyday observation employs the use of the empirical approach.

For example, your grandmother may have a home remedy for dandruff, but it hasn’t been tested and proven effective like the shampoo you bought at the store. Empirical data is important because it is objective evidence and is ideally not influenced by opinion or bias.

CHAPTER 1: MEANING AND CHARACTERISTICS OF RESEARCH

• Empirical. Research is based on direct experience or observation by the researcher.
• Logical. Research is based on valid procedures and principles.
• Cyclical.
• Analytical.
• Critical.
• Methodical.
• Replicability.

Qualitative research is empirical research where the data are not in the form of numbers. These simplified definitions are useful for getting started in research, but they do not give the full picture of the quantitative–qualitative distinction.

We rely upon all parts of our bodies when gathering empirical evidence but we mostly rely on our brains to process the information that becomes the empirical evidence.

Empirical analysis is an evidence-based approach to the study and interpretation of information. The empirical approach relies on real-world data, metrics and results rather than theories and concepts. Empiricism is the idea that knowledge is primarily received through experience and attained through the five senses.

An empirical literature review is more commonly called a systematic literature review and it examines past empirical studies to answer a particular research question. In this chapter, the author reviews the information and theories currently available concerning the topic and the historical background of the topic.

Empirical reviews are based on experiments while theoretical reviews focus on and investigate theories already exist. An empirical literature review is more commonly called a systematic literature review and it examines past empirical studies to answer a particular research question.

Empirical research derives conclusions based on experience, which can be directly visualized or indirectly observed with the help of experiments. Normally, the analysis is performed by quantifying the results and the inference is drawn.

Review Articles. Know the difference between empirical and review articles. An empirical (research) article reports methods and findings of an original research study conducted by the authors of the article. A review article or “literature review” discusses past research studies on a given topic.

Systematic literature review can be divided into two categories: meta-analysis and meta-synthesis. Integrative literature review reviews, critiques, and synthesizes secondary data about research topic in an integrated way such that new frameworks and perspectives on the topic are generated.

1. Step 1: Review APA guidelines.
2. Step 2: Decide on a topic.
3. Step 3: Identify the literature that you will review:
4. Step 4: Analyze the literature.
5. Step 5: Summarize the literature in table or concept map format.
6. Step 6: Synthesize the literature prior to writing your review.
7. Step 7: Writing the review (Galvan, 2006: 81-90)

They are different in one important way: Empirical articles report the findings of a research study, while review articles assess the findings of a variety of studies on a topic.