Confirmatory Research consists of causal research that tests prior hypotheses. Research that begins without hypotheses but with only general questions is exploratory research. In this case, the data lead to the hypotheses. We may then test such post hoc hypotheses in the usual confirmatory way.

A clear example of the confirmatory, hypotheses-first type of qualitative research appears in our opening example from When Prophecy Fails. Early on, the authors state five conditions under which they expect to see increased proselytizing following disconfirmation. These conditions express testable hypotheses.