Researching topics and evaluating the research in a case study format provides a narrative about the research topic and presents supporting data, often in forms of tables and graphs. One reason why the case study method is so popular is because the narrative format can describe the complexities and details of scientific research in layman's terms, allowing the research to be easily consumed by a wider audience. Case studies provide context for both quantitative and qualitative findings, which is another reason why they're commonly used.
Using a survey is another way to form conclusions and evaluate research data. Surveys obtain information directly from the research subjects and can cover their opinions, attitudes, beliefs, concerns, experiences and many other issues by asking questions. Surveys can help supplement research and are often used when the desired data is not available through typical sources. Using a survey to evaluate research is a good way to directly address the concerns of research stakeholders by asking direct questions.
Use benchmarking methodology to perform a systematic comparison of data sets and information. Benchmarking is best used in scenarios where the researcher is comparing the research findings to another related data set or a competing data set, if he is arguing the validity of another piece of research. Benchmarking is commonly used by organizations as a measure to compare practices and resource allocation within different departments.
The benefit cost study method quantifies the positive and negative effects of a project. It balances the benefits of the research project with the cost of executing it, relative to similar projects or research studies. This method starts with a description of the research project and expands to include the economic and social costs of performing the study. Benefit-cost studies can contain both qualitative and quantitative data and are a good way to evaluate multiple sets of research against each other.