The extent to which a research study will spell out the relevant details attests to the strength of an exploratory research study. The descriptive research question in this study explores more details on the variables in perspective. A descriptive question could pose, “How do transportation operators in fifty states in the United States of America (USA) perceive the mainstreaming of the ISO 14000 certification benchmarks?”
This question focuses on generating further details about perceptions from the respondent or the objects of the study (in this case, the transportation operator) regarding the predictor variable, that is, mainstreaming the ISO 14000 certification benchmarks. Another descriptive research could question asks, ”How do transportation operators in fifty states in the United States of America (USA) perceive environment care?” This gathers further details on the perception of transportation operators towards the response variable, that is, environment care.
On a quantitative basis, a descriptive research question targeting the independent variable could pose, “What are the aggregate numbers of transport operators in the United States of America (USA) that are achieving environmental care through mainstreaming the ISO 14000 certification benchmarks?” A descriptive research question meant to be a control focusing on how other energies consuming sectors relatively rate when compared with transportation operators on mainstreaming the ISO 14000 certification benchmarks could pose, “What are the aggregate numbers of other energy-consuming industrial players that are mainstreaming the ISO 14000 certification benchmarks?”
Inferential research questions in quantitative studies draw relations between the study variables. Thus, an inferential question linking the independent (mainstreaming the ISO 14000 certification benchmarks) and dependent (environment care) variable may pose, “Does mainstream the ISO 14000 certification benchmarks relate to environmental care by the transportation operators?”