Descriptive vs. Analytical Research / Types

The distinction between descriptive and analytical research is based on the question it asks.

Descriptive research attempts to determine, describe, or identify what is, while
analytical research attempts to establish why it is that way or how it came to be.

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/09/27/the-3-basic-types-of-descriptive-research-methods/

http://www.ehow.com/info_8212942_types-analytical-research.html