Research Design

Research Methodology
Dr.S.L.Gupta and Hitesh Gupta
 Learning Objectives
 Types of Research Designs
 Exploratory Research Design
 Conclusive Research Design
 Descriptive Research Design
 Causal Research Design
 Extensions of True Experimental Designs
 Completely Randomized Design
 Randomized Block Design
 Latin Square Design
 Factorial Design
 Selecting Experimental Design
 Limitations of Experimentation
 Potential Sources of Error in Research Designs

© S.L.Gupta and Hitesh Gupta

 Research Design
 Kerlinger - Research design is the plan, structure and strategy
and strategy of investigation conceived so as to obtain answers
to research questions and to control variance.
 Bernard Philips - Blue print for the collection, measurement
and analysis of data.
 Claire Selltiz A research design is the arrangement of
conditions for collection and analysis of data in a manner that
aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with
economy in procedure.
 S.L.Gupta and Hitesh Gupta - A research design provides a
flow of activities from problem formulation to hypothesis
development to data collection to data analysis to final results
to implications.

© S.L.Gupta and Hitesh Gupta

 Research Design (Cont..)
 A research design provides:
 Design of research – Exploratory / Conclusive (Descriptive / Causal or
experimental)
 Type of data required for information gathering
 Measurement and scaling requirements
 Form of data collection such as questionnaire, etc.
 Sampling process and sampling size required
 Data analysis to be done
 Research design depends upon:
 (a) Questions which research is expected to answer
 (b) Variables involved in the research
 (c) Measurement of the variables

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 Types of Research Design
 Exploratory research:
 Lack of structure and flexibility.
 Diagnostic in nature.
 Generally used for the development of hypothesis regarding potential
problems and opportunities.
 This type of research provides insight and understanding of the
problems.
 Exploratory research methods include Secondary data sources, Experts
opinion, surveys, In-depth Discussions, Case studies and Observation.
 Conclusive research:
 More formal and structured
 Used to provide information for the evaluation of alternative courses
of action.
 This type of research can be subclassified into
 descriptive research with Cross-sectional or Time series or Longitudinal
or Case studies methods
 casual or experimental research.
© S.L.Gupta and Hitesh Gupta
Classification of Research Designs
Research Design

Exploratory Conclusive
Research Design Research Design

Descriptive Casual
Research Research

Cross-Sectional Longitudinal
Design Design

Single Cross- Multiple Cross-

Sectional Design Sectional Design
© S.L.Gupta and Hitesh Gupta
 Variations
Exploratory Conclusive


Define/Choose
Hypothesis OR segment
 
Conclusive Exploratory
Various Designs Possible Around Two Themes...
• Descriptive research that aim to collect info:
Demographic, lifestyle
Beliefs, attitudes, behaviour (past/intended)
• Experimental research that aims to measure impact of stimulus on response:
Concept test - product/advertising/idea
Product test - use/clinics

© S.L.Gupta and Hitesh Gupta

Target Group Can Dictate Design

Demographics/Life • Age, Sex, SEC, Working status, Occupation,

stage/lifestyle Education
• Joint, nuclear, single, couple, infant, kids
• Eating out/travel abroad/have sports car
Usage • Recent, lapsed, potential, regular/
characteristics occasional, heavy/light
Attitudinal • E.g. Health conscious, Tech savvy, etc
Awareness • E.g. Aware of brand, seen advertising,etc

© S.L.Gupta and Hitesh Gupta

 A Comparison of Basic Research Designs
Exploratory Descriptive Causal
Objective: Discovery of Describe market Determine cause
ideas and characteristics or and effect
insights functions relationships

Characteristics: Flexible, Marked by the prior Manipulation of

versatile formulation of one or more
specific independent
hypotheses variables

Often the front Preplanned and Control of other

end of total structured design mediating
research design variables

Methods: Expert surveys Secondary data Experiments

Pilot surveys Surveys
Secondary data Panels
Qualitative Observation and
research other data © S.L.Gupta and Hitesh Gupta
 Exploratory Research Design
 Exploratory research using secondary sources of information
 Exploratory research using expert opinions/individuals with ideas
 Depth Interviews
 The advantages of depth interviews:
1. They bring out information that would not be obtained in a normal interview.
2. The interviewer has a great deal of flexibility and can use his ingenuity to stimulate respondents
to reveal more of their attitudes and motives.
 The disadvantages of depth interviews:
1. No two interviewers will proceed in exactly the same way, thus it is difficult to compare results.
2. This creates difficulty in securing respondents cooperation and increases costs.
3. The depth interview is the difficulty and cost of interpretation.
 Focus Group Interviews
 Advantages like:
1. Bringing out the inner motivations of the consumers.
2. Letting the researcher have a first‑hand experience of the consumer reactions.
3. Generating new ideas.
 Disadvantages are:
1. Excessive reliance on the skills of the moderator.
2. Wrong combination of consumers in focus groups, resulting in no longer tangible output.
3. Using qualitative discussions quantitatively without checking them out.
 Projective Techniques.
 Exploratory Research using Case Analysis.
© S.L.Gupta and Hitesh Gupta
 Conclusive Research Design
 Descriptive Research
 This method ceases to focus on individual cases and
focuses instead on classes, averages, percentages, measures
of dispersion and more sophisticated statistical procedures.
 Experimental or Casual Research
 Concept of Causality
 The conditions under which we can make causal inferences
are:
 Time and order of occurrence of variables.
 Concomitant variation.
 Elimination of other possible causal factors.

© S.L.Gupta and Hitesh Gupta

 Experiment
 Conducting an Expriment:
1. Select relevant variables
2. Specify the level(s) of the treatment
3. Control the experimental design
4. Choose the experimental design
5. Select and assign the subjects
6. Pilot‑test, revise, and test
7. Analyse the data

 Evaluation of Experiment:
1. The ability to uncover causal relationship
2. Provisions for controlling extraneous and environmental variables?
3. Convenience and low cost of creating test situating rather than
searching for their appearance in business situation
4. Replicating findings to rule out idiosyncratic or isolated results, and
5. The ability to exploit naturally occurring events.
© S.L.Gupta and Hitesh Gupta
 Types of Experimental Designs
 After Only
 Before After
 Before After with Control Group
 Four Groups Six Study
 After only with Control Group
 Latin Square

© S.L.Gupta and Hitesh Gupta

Extensions of True Experimental Designs

 Completely Randomized Design

 Randomized Block Design
 Latin Square Design
 Factorial Design

© S.L.Gupta and Hitesh Gupta

 Limitations of Experimentation
1. It is not always possible to control the effects of extraneous
variables. Differential effects among treatment groups can
easily occur in field experiments.
2. In field experiments, lack of cooperation from the wholesales
and retailers can limit the experimental activity.
3. Lack of knowledge about experimental procedures on the part
of the marketing personnel may limit the usage of
experimentation and in addition, it may lead to experimental
conclusion being discarded as not meaningful.
4. Experiments can be costly and time‑consuming.
5. While using people as test units, care must be taken that
experimenter does not say and do things that bias test unit
responses.

© S.L.Gupta and Hitesh Gupta

 Potential Sources of Error in Research Designs
Total Error

Random Sampling Non-sampling

Error Error

Response Non-response
Error Error

Researcher Interviewer Respondent

Error Errors Error

•Surrogate Information Error •Respondent Selection Error •Inability Error

•Measurement Error
•Population Definition Error
•Sampling Frame Error
•Data Analysis Error
•Questioning Error •Unwillingness Error
•Recording Error
•Cheating Error
© S.L.Gupta and Hitesh Gupta
 Questions???

© S.L.Gupta and Hitesh Gupta