Ahmed Arif

SZABIST, Islamabad

A plan is required to undertake every activity.

The research is a very critical process that
needs a detailed plan. This plan is called
research design.
According to Green and Tull, A research
design is the specification of methods and
procedures for acquiring the information
needed. It is the over all operational pattern
or framework of the project that stipulates
what information is to be collected from
which source by what procedures.

What is the
Research Study
All about?
How would the
report be
prepared?

Why is the
study required?

How would the

data be
analyzed?

Where would
the study be
conducted?

Research
Design
What technique
of data
collection
would be used?

What type of
data is
required?

What would be
the sample
design?

Where can the

require data be
found?
What is the
time period of
research study?

Sampling
Design

Observational
Design

Statistical
Design

Operational
Design

Refers to the part

of research design
that deals with the
method of
selecting items for
the research
study.

Refers to the part

of research design
that deals with the
conditions of
observations
which are required
for the research
study.

Refers to the part

of research design
that deals with the
way of obtaining
and analyzing
observations

Refers to the part

of research design
that deals with the
techniques of
carrying out the
preceding three
designs.

Research design is important because it:

Facilitates smooth research operation;
Provides a methodological way of conducting
research;
Helps in gathering maximum information with less
efforts;
Helps in selecting tools for data collection;
Suitable methods for the analysis of collected data.

General Features
Applicable to all studies
Reliability and minimum personal bias

Specific Features
Different for every research study
Flexibility is suitable for exploratory study.
Precision and accuracy are important for diagnostic
study instead of flexibility.
Every statistical tool is not feasible for every
research.

Research Design for Exploratory Studies

Research Design for Descriptive Studies
Research Design for Experimental Studies

Exploratory study, by its very nature,

considers different aspects of a situation or
topic. Thus, research design for exploratory
studies must be flexible enough to consider
all different aspects of the research problem.
Methods of exploratory studies are:
Review of Literature
Experience Surveys

Either of the methods can be followed but the

design should be flexible enough.

The researcher should focus on following

points while devising a research design for
descriptive studies:

Objectives of a research study

Techniques of data collection
Type of data required
Place and time period of data
Analyzing data
Presenting reports

This design includes the following five steps:

Defining the goals of experiment
Identifying and classifying variables (dependent,
independent and extraneous)
Developing relationship between dependent and
independent variables
Selecting a suitable experimental design
Ensuring the validity of a design

Overall
Design

Sampling
Design

Statistical
Design

Observational Operational
Design
Design

Exploratory

Flexible

Purposive

Not planned

Data can be
collected by
unstructured
methods

Not Fixed

Descriptive/
Diagnostic

Rigid

Probability Pre-Planned

Structured
methods

Fixed

Sampling is the process in which the

sufficient number of elements are selected
from the population for purpose of study.
The characteristics and properties of the
selected sample are generalized for the whole
population.
According to Mildred Patron, Sampling is the
process or method of drawing a definite
number of individuals, cases or observations
from a particular universe selecting part of a
total group for investigation.

Population

Element

Population
Frame

Refers to the
complete
group
containing
all elements
on which
research is
based.

Refers to a
single
member of
population

Refers to the
listing of all
elements in
population.

Sample

Refers to the
subset of
population

Census

Sample

Refers to the complete enumeration Refers to the selection of a few

of all elements in a population.
elements as sample from the
population
Used when population contains less Used when population contains
elements and it is feasible to study numerous elements and it is not
each element therein.
feasible to conduct complete
enumeration.
Used when
constraint.

there

is

no

cost Used when there is cost constraint.

Used when the researcher has Used when the researcher does not
enough time and resources to have enough time for complete
conduct complete enumeration.
enumeration.

1.

Type of Population

2.

Sampling Frame

3.

Sampling Unit

4.

Sampling Method

5.

Sampling Size

6.

Parameters

7.

Budgetary Constraints

Sampling design must produce representative sample

Sampling design must result in less sampling errors
Sampling design must be feasible in context of available funds
Sample design should result in generalizable results
Sampling design should be able to prevent systematic
bias in a better way

The difference of results in population and

sample.
The ways to remove sampling errors:
Increase sample size
Stratification

Issues in Sample Size:

Precision
Confidence

Occur even if every element is

considered.
Important reasons are as follows:
Improper division of sampling units of a
population
Poor response of respondents
Bias
Intentional Bias
Un-intentional Bias

Sampling
Methods

Non Probability
Sampling

Quota Sampling

Convenience
Sampling

Judgment
Sampling

Purposive
Sampling

Snowball
Sampling

Probability
Sampling

Non-Restricted
Sampling

Restricted
Sampling

Systematic
Sampling

Stratified
Random
Sampling
Proportionate
Stratified
Sampling

Disproportionate
Stratified
Sampling

n = N/1+N (e) 2
Whereas
N = Population = 10000
n = Sample Size = 307
e = Error Term = 0.05