RESEARCH

DESIGN
 RESEARCH DESIGN
DEFINITION

Research Design is the “framework” or “blueprint” for

collecting the information needed for your project in
the best possible way (Malhotra et al., 2002).

Research Design is the conceptual structure within

which research is conducted; it constitutes the
blueprint for the collection, measurement and analysis
of data.
 FUNCTIONS OF RESEARCH
DESIGN
According to Black and Champion (1976-77), the
three important functions of research design are:

It provides blueprint.

It limits boundaries of research activity.

It enables investigation to anticipate potential

problems.
1. What is the study about
2. Why is the study being made
3. Where will the study be carried out
4. What type of data is required
5. Where can the required data be found
6. What period of time will the study include
7. What will be the sample size
8. What techniques of data collection will be used
9. How will the data be analysed
10. In what style will the report be prepared
FEATURES OF A GOOD RESEARCH
DESIGN
It should be flexible.

It should be appropriate.

It should be efficient.

It should be economical.

It should minimize bias.

It should maximize the reliability of data collected.

It should give the smallest experimental error.

 FEATURES OF A RESEARCH
DESIGN
 It should yield maximum information.

It should provide the opportunity for considering different

aspects of the problem.

It should provide the means of obtaining information.

It should be appropriate with respect to the availability and

skills of the researcher and his staff.

It should be related to :

 the objective of the problem,
 the nature of the problem being studied,
 the availability of time and money for the research
work.
 TYPES OF RESEARCH DESIGN

 Design of investigation should stem from the

problem.
 Based on the fundamental objectives or purposes,
research design has been classified into:
a)Exploratory or Formulative Research Design.
b)Descriptive and Diagnostic Research Design.
c)Experimental Research Design (Causal
Research Design).
 EXPLORATORY /
FORMULATIVE
RESEARCH DESIGN
EXPLORATORY / FORMULATIVE
RESEARCH DESIGN
Exploratory studies are carried out to explore a
subject.

Exploratory research is unstructured, informal

research undertaken to gain background information
about the general nature of the research problem.

Designed to generate basic knowledge, clarify relevant

issues, uncover variables associated with a problem,
uncover information needs, and/or define alternatives for
addressing research objectives.
Uses/Objectives of exploratory research:

 Gain background information

 Define concepts more clearly
 Develop operational definitions
 Clarify and formulate a more precise
research problem and hypotheses
 Achieve new insights or ideas into a
phenomenon
 Establish research priorities
EXPLORATORY / FORMULATIVE
RESEARCH DESIGN

Methods of conducting exploratory research:

• Survey of related literature / Secondary data analysis

• Experience surveys- Survey of people who have had
practical experience with the problem to be studied
• Case analysis /Analysis of ‘Insight stimulating’ cases –
Suitable where there is little experience to serve as a
guide.. For this purpose existing records may be
examined.
EXPLORATORY / FORMULATIVE
RESEARCH DESIGN
Survey of Related Literature
• Refer conceptual literature,trade literature and published
statistics (secondary sources).
• Hypothesis stated by earlier researchers may be reviewed
and their usefulness be evaluated as a basis for further
research.
• In cases where hypothesis have not been formulated, review
the available material for deriving hypothesis from it.
• In this way the researcher should review and build upon the
work done by others.
EXPLORATORY / FORMULATIVE
RESEARCH DESIGN
 Experience Surveys ( depth interviews)
• Survey of people who have had practical
experience with the problem to be studied.
• Knowledgeable people with varying points of
view.
• Unstructured and informal interviews.
• It reflects an attempt to get all available
information from the people who have some
knowledge of subject under investigation.
EXPLORATORY / FORMULATIVE
RESEARCH DESIGN

Analysis of Selected Cases

•Intensive study of related cases or examples or past
activities.
•It provides clues as to how other units or
companies have dealt with similar issues.
•It is suitable for areas where there are few or no
experienced persons to provide necessary
information.
DESCRIPTIVE AND
DIAGNOSTIC
RESEARCH DESIGN
DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH DESIGN

 Descriptive research provides answers to

the questions of:
– Who
– What
– Where
– When
– How
 We cannot answer the question Why?
conclusively
 DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH DESIGN

 Descriptive Research is designed to provide further

information which is concerned with the characterstics
or functions of a group.

 The major purpose of descriptive research is the

description of the state of affairs as it exist at present.
 OBJECTIVES OF DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
DESIGN
Descriptive research studies are aimed at
describing or portraying the characteristics of a
particular individual, group or a situation.
e.g. users of a product with different age, sex, education, etc.

It is also concerned with specific predictions, with

narration of facts and characteristics concerning
individual, group or situation.
e.g. sales of a company's product in each of the next five
years
 OBJECTIVES OF DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
DESIGN
The study offers the researcher to determine the
perception of a particular product characterstics.

To estimate the proportion of people in a specified

population who behave in a certain way
e.g.: shopping persons who buy from a particular shop.

To determine whether certain variables are associated

e.g.. income and usage of a product.
DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH DESIGN

 Classification of descriptive research studies:

– Cross sectional studies: they measure the

population at only one point of time.

– Longitudinal studies: they repeatedly measure

the same population over a period of time.
 Cross-Sectional Descriptive Studies

Most common and most familiar.

Uses a representative sample of elements from a

population, often a sample survey.

Characteristics of the elements are measured once, i.e. it

provides a snapshot of the variables under investigation.
 Cross-Sectional Descriptive Studies

Disadvantages of sample surveys are:

High level questions, not very deep, which allow for

statistical analysis.
Expensive in terms of time and money.
Technical skills are required for the researcher.
Data may be outdated.
It may draw an artificial picture of what was going on at a
particular point of time.
It is possible that respondents were observed or questioned on a
bad day.
 Longitudinal Descriptive Studies

 Involves panel, i.e. a fixed sample of elements or respondents,

which are repeatedly measured over time, i.e. it provides a movie
of the variables under investigation.

Panel members are relatively constant over time.

Main disadvantage of panels is that they are non-

representative.
Cross Section Data may not show
change
Brand Period 1 Survey Period 2
Survey

A 200 200

B 300 300

Total 500 500

 Longitudinal Data may show
change
Brand Period 1 Survey Period 2 Survey

A 200 300

B 300 500

Total 500 800

DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH DESIGN

Diagnostic research studies are carried out to determine the

frequency with which something (variables) occurs or its
association with something else.

All the studies that are aimed to find out whether certain
variables are associated by testing the hypothesis is diagnostic
in nature
The study concerning whether certain variables are
associated are diagnostic research studies .
DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH DESIGN

The design concentrates on in-depth analysis of data to

identify the factors that contributed to the problem and
examine their interrelationships from various angles by
bringing as many relevant variables as possible.

The diagnostic design is concerned with the case as well as

the treatment.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
DESCRIPTIVE AND DIAGNOSTIC
RESEARCH DESIGN

Existence of a pre-planned research design,

Design should be carefully planned,

Design must be rigid and not flexible,

It should ensure minimization of bias and

maximization of reliability of the data collected.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
DESCRIPTIVE AND DIAGNOSTIC
RESEARCH DESIGN

 Done using rigid methods with clear

specifications of who, what, when, where,
why and how of the research.

Frequently use pilot studies to test the data

collection tool and analysis techniques.

 Data collection often done through structured

interviews or questionnaires.
 Exploratory VS Descriptive
Exploratory Descriptive

1. Meaning

2. Overall Design Flexible Rigid

3. Sampling Non Probability(Purposive, Probability ( Random-

Design Judgement) Systamatic, Cluster,
Quota)

4. Methods Expert Survey, Pilot Panels , Survey,

Survey, Expeience Survey Secondary Data
EXPERIMENTAL / CAUSAL
RESEARCH DESIGN
EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGN

 Experimental research design is concerned with making

experiments to find out the cause-effect relationship of
variables under study.

 The main purpose of exp. design is to test a causal

hypothesis. Causal hypothesis is a statement that states
the cause and effect relationship between two or more
variables.

 Thus experimental research design is also known as

hypothesis-testing or causal research design.
 EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGN

 The premise of the design is that something (an

independent variable) directly influences the behavior of
something else ( the dependent variable).

 The presumed cause is called the independent variable

and the presumed effect is called the dependent variable.

 An independent variable causes or explains variations in

the dependent variable.
EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGN
 In experimental design, besides the terms control
and experimental groups, some other terms are also
important.
1) Experimental treatment: alternative manipulations of the
independent variable that is being investigated or the
different conditions under which experimental groups are
put.
2) Test units: subjects which are exposed to experimental
treatments or subjects whose response to the experimental
treatment is measured or observed.
EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGN
3) Extraneous variables: those independent variables that are not related
to the purpose of the study, but may affect the dependent variable. It
is therefore, essential that, extraneous variables should be
controlled.eg 4 day workshop (IV) will lead to higher
productivity(DV) especially among workers(MV) in routine
office work(EV)

3) Randomization: It refers to the random selection of experimental

units or subjects from the larger population without any bias.
According to this technique, each member of the population or
universe has an equal and independent chance of being selected as
sample.
4) Repeated measure: When the same subjects are exposed to all
experimental treatments, the experiment is said to have repeated
measure.