Seminar on

Arun Joseph. S
MPhil.
Dept of Library & Information Science.
University of Kerala.
 INTRODUCTION
The research design is the
conceptual structure within
which research is conducted ; it
constitutes the blue print for the
collection , measurement and
analysis of data.
• The research design provides
the back bone structure of the
study, it supports the study and
hold it's together.
• The research design refers to the
researcher overall plan for
answering the research question
or testing the research
hypotheses.
PROCESS OF DESIGNING & CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
PROJECT
–What--What was studied?
–What about--What aspects of
the subject were studied?
–What for--What is/was the
significance of the study?
–What did prior lit./research say?
–What was done--How was the
study conducted?
–What was found?
–So what?
–What now?
Hence Research Design is:
• a framework for the research
plan of action.
• a master plan that specifies
the methods and procedures
for collecting and analyzing
the needed information
• a strategy for how the data
will be collected.
 Definitions
The Planned
sequence of the entire
process involved in
conducting a research
study .
“A research design is the
arrangement of conditions for
collected and analysis of data in a
manner that aims to combine
relevance to the research
purpose with economy in
procedure.”
- Johoda, Deutsch, & Cook
“The plan, structure,
and strategy of
investigation conceived
so as to obtain answers
to research questions
and control variance.”
- General Def
 Purposes of Research Design
 It provides the scheme for
answering research question.
 It maintains control to avoid bias
that may affect the outcomes.
 It organize the study in a certain
way defending the advantages of
doing while being aware and
caution about potential
disadvantages .
Intriguing Observation, More Careful Studying Defining Research
Intellectual Curiosity of the Phenomenon Problem & Objectives

Building the Theoretical

Refinement of theory
Framework and the
(Inductive Reasoning) THE PROCESS OF Research Model
EMPIRICAL RESEARCH
Testing Hypo.:
Data Analysis & Developing Research
Interpretation Hypotheses

Data Coding, Developing Operational

And Definitions for
Editing Research Variables

Data Collection Sampling Design

 Characteristics

1) Objectivity
2) Reliability
3) Validity
4) Generalisation
 1. Objectivity
Judged by the degree of
agreement between the
final scores assigned to
different individuals by
more than one
independent observer.
 2. Reliability
o Refers to consistency throughout
a series of measurements.
o Some of the methods to
determining reliability are using
‘check items’, administering the
same test repeatedly; using a
series of ‘parallel’ forms, etc.
 3. Validity

Any measuring
instrument is said to be
valid when it measures
what it purports to
measure.
 4. Generalization
The data collected from a
sample can be utilized for
drawing certain
generalisations, applicable to
a larger group from which the
sample is drawn.
 Advantages
 Lead to more
accurate results.
 Give optimum
efficiency and
reliability.
• Minimise the
wastage of time as
well as money.
• Instills confidence
in the research.
• Provides
satisfaction &
success.
 Components
Title of the study
Statement of the problem
Review of literature
Area & Scope of Study
Objectives of the study
Formulation of
hypothesis
Definition of concepts
Methodology
Sampling design
Constructing the
schedule/Questionnaire
Collection of data
Analysis of data
Interpretation of results
Reporting the findings
Time & Financial
budgeting
 Different Research Designs
Exploratory type research
design
Descriptive type research
design
Diagnostic type research design
Experimental type research
design
 1) Exploratory type Research Design
Explorative research studies are
also termed as formulative
research studies.
Exploratory study is a systematic
scientific approach which enables
a social scientist to determine
whether an idea is in reality or
not.
Explorative studies can provide
ideas , hypothesis , suggestions
that might never occur to the
social scientist sitting in an office
and mediating over the problem.
More flexible.
Done in the field whether there
is little knowledge is available.
The exploratory method , according
to Katz , “ represents the earlier
stage of science “.

This significant observation implies

that all sciences must have at the
beginning had an approach which
has purely exploratory.
Inorder to attain research objectives
the exploratory method , as
suggested by Selltiz et.al . , should
adopt the following steps :
Review of related social science and
another pertinent literature , one of
the simplest ways of economizing
effort in an enquiry , is to review the
work already alone by others .
 Survey of people who had
partial experience with the
problem to be studied :
persons by virtue of the
nature of their jobs are in a
position to throw light on the
subject matter of interest of
the investigator.
• The analysis of insight stimulating
examples : social scientists working
in an area which is yet to be
explored , which incidentally is the
usual experience of an innovative
social scientist , have found the
intensive study of the selected
samples to be particularly fruitful
method of stimulating insight.
Katz has conceptualized exploratory
studies at two levels ;
The first is the discovery of the
significant variable in the situation.
The second is the discovery of
relationship between variables.
It is imperative for the investigator
to delimit the area to be studied
specially at the first level.
Exploratory studies which do not
sets limits for themselves have limits
imposed by various practical matters.
Mostly the results obtained through
the explorative study are to be
treated as a sign post for future and
further study in the same or similar
direction.
For this reason , they are also known as
formulative studies.
WHEN EXPLORATIVE RESEARCH ?
Effectiveness
It’s ability
A d vto
a ngenerate
tage many
ideas that could be further
explored in more controlled
conditions , apart from
overcoming the most
difficult portion of enquiry ,
which is it’s initiation.
 2) Descriptive type Research Design
 Rigid Design.
 Probability sampling design.
 Pre-planned design for analysis.
 Structured instruments for
collection of data.
 Advanced decisions about
operational procedure.
Research design in which the major
emphasis is on determining the
frequency with which something
occurs or the extent to which two
variables co vary.
 Enable researcher to describe picture of a
phenomenon under investigation.
 Methodology involved – qualitative in
nature producing descriptive data.
 Three approaches to enable to
record/analyse the bahavioural patterns:
i. Participant observation.
ii. Personal documents.
iii. Unstructured interviewing.
 3) Diagnostic type Research Design
Rigid Design.
 Probability sampling design.
 Pre-planned design for analysis.
 Structured instruments for
collection of data.
 Advanced decisions about
operational procedure.
 Diagnosis corresponds to the
fact finding aspect of clinical
practice.
 Represents the most typical and
simple problem solving strategy
of the helper faced with
problems and crises
on the job.
 Consists of the emergence of
a problem, a diagnosis of its
causes, formulation of all the
avenues of remediation, and
recommendations for a
possible solution.
Data for diagnosis can be
obtained in four major ways:
a. Case history or Interview
b. Clinical observation
c. Informal testing
d. Formal standardized
testing
 4) Experimental type Research Design
• Professor R.A.Fisher’s name is associated
with experimental designs.
• It’s origin in agricultural research was made
by him when he was working in
Rothamsted Experimental
Station (Centre for Agricultural
Research in England).
 Experiment is a study in
which the investigator
manipulates or varies
(called the independent
variables) &
measures other variables
(called the
dependent
variables).
 When an experiment is
possible it is the most
effective method of testing a
hypothesis.
i.e; one variable ‘X’
casually influences
another variable ‘Y’
 There are three basic principles
of experimental designs :
1. The principle of
replication
2. The principle of
randomisation
3. The principle of local
1. The principle of replication
According to this , the
experiment should be repeated
more than once.
Thus, each treatment is applied in many
experimental units instead of one.
By doing so, the statistical accuracy of
the experiments is incresed.
 2. The principle of randomisation
This provides protection against
the effects of extraneous factors
by randomisation.
We may apply randomisation principle and
protect ourselves
against the effects
of the extraneous factors.
 3. The principle of local control
According to this principle, we first
divide the field into several
homogeneous parts, known as
blocks, and then each such block is
divided into part equal
to the number of
treatments.
 References
• Hasouneh , Abdel Baset I .(2003) . Research
Methodology . Jaipur : Sublime publications, 33-
42
• Devarajan, G.(2011). Prolegomena to Research
Methodology. New Delhi: Ess Ess publications,
107-108.
• Kothari, C.R. (2004). Research Methodology:
Methods and Techniques. New Delhi: New Age
International (p) limited, 31-52.
• Sharma , BAV .(1984).Research methods in
social sciences . New Delhi : Sterling
publishers, 68-82.

• Sharma , BAV .(1984).Research methods in

social sciences . New Delhi : Sterling
publishers, 90-112.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploratory_re
search