What is a descriptive study?

A study that tries to reveal patterns associated with a specific disease without an emphasis on pre-specified hypotheses. Sometimes these types of studies are called hypothesis generating studies (to contrast them with hypothesis testing studies). There are three general reasons that you might want to conduct a descriptive study:

1. to help in planning resource allocation;
2. to identify areas for further research
3. to provide informal diagnostic information.

Generally, in a descriptive study, the emphasis is on estimation rather than testing. Some of the quantities you might want to estimate are:

1. the prevalence of a disease,
2. the natural history of a disease.
3. the resources required to treat the disease.
4. attitudes and perceptions about the disease.

This webpage was written by Steve Simon on 2002-10-11, edited by Steve Simon, and was last modified on 2008-07-08. This page needs minor revisions. Category: Definitions, Category: Research designs.