RESEARCH DESIGN

• Logic of the inquiry

• Purpose of the inquiry

• Types of research design

• Research (Study) design vs. research methodology

• Directions of reasoning (logic

 Some basic concepts

•Research methodology

–Quantitative vs. Qualitative vs. Participatory/action research

•Research methods

–Methods of sampling, data collection and data analysis

•Research design

–Experimental, descriptive, exploratory

 RESEARCH DESIGN
• RESEARCH DESIGN refers to the plan,
structure, and strategy of research--the
blueprint that will guide the research
process.
 LOGIC OF THE INQUIRY
• Research design is the overall plan for
connecting the conceptual research
problems to the pertinent (and achievable)
empirical research.
•In other words, the research design
articulates what data is required, what
methods are going to be used to collect and
analyse this data, and how all of this is
going to answer your research question.
• Different design logics are used for different
types of study.
 RESEARCH DESIGN VS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
Focuses on the end-product:
What kind of study is being
planned and what kind of results
are aimed at.
• E.g. Historical - comparative
study, interpretive approach OR
exploratory study, inductive and
deductive etc.
• Point of departure (driven by) =
Research problem or question.
• Focuses on the logic of research:
What evidence is required to
address the question
adequately?
• Research methodology
Focuses on the research
process and the kind of tools
and procedures to be used.
• E.g. Document analysis, survey
methods, analysis of existing
(secondary) data/statistics etc)
• Point of departure (driven by) =
Specific tasks (data collection
or sampling) at hand.
• Focuses on the individual (not
linear) steps in the research
process and the most
‘objective’ (unbiased)
procedures to be employed.
 TYPES OF RESEARCH
• Descriptive vs. Analytical: Descriptive research
includes surveys and fact-finding enquiries of different
kinds. The major purpose of descriptive research is
description of the state of affairs as it exists at present. In
social science and business research we quite often use
the term Ex post facto research for descriptive research
studies. The main characteristic of this method is that the
researcher has no control over the variables; he can only
report what has happened or what is happening.
 Analytical research
• In analytical research, the researcher has
to use facts or information already
available, and analyze these to make a
critical evaluation of the material.
 Applied vs. Fundamental: Research can either be
applied (or action) research

• Research can either be applied (or action)

research or fundamental (to basic or pure)
research.
• Applied research aims at finding a solution for an
immediate problem facing a society or an
industrial/business organisation, whereas
fundamental research is mainly concerned with
generalisations and with the formulation of a
theory.
• “Gathering knowledge for knowledge’s sake is
termed ‘pure’ or ‘basic’ research
 Quantitative vs. Qualitative:
• Quantitative research is based on the measurement of
quantity or amount. It is applicable to phenomena that
can be expressed in terms of quantity.
• Qualitative research, on the other hand, is concerned
with qualitative phenomenon, i.e., phenomena
relating to or involving quality or kind. For instance, when
we are interested in investigating the reasons for human
behaviour (i.e., why people think or do certain things),
• We quite often talk of ‘Motivation Research’, an
important type of qualitative research.
• Qualitative research is specially important in the
behavioural sciences where the aim is to discover the
underlying motives of human behaviour.
 QUALITATIVE VS. QUANTITATIVE
METHODS
QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE

 Hypothesis testing • Discovery and understanding of

 Variables events
 Measuring instruments • Themes, motives, categories
developed before the • Measuring instruments develop
actual project starts during the project, considering
 Numeric data, precise, setting and researcher
exact measurement • Textual data, documents,
 Standardized procedures, observations, descriptive
repetitions • Individualized procedures,
 Analysis: statistical repetitions are difficult and different
methods, charts and • Analysis: seeking patterns,
tables generalizations from available data
Results: charts, tables, • Results: stories, narratives,
facts descriptions
Qualitative Methods

Researcher collects data in a real environment.

Researcher himself/herself is the key research tool.

Focus of research is a process or activity itself, not

just results of that process or activity.

Data collected is most often verbal (non-numerical).

Verbal data analysis (rarely numerical).

Results are facts with limited usability and new

research questions. Rarely verification of hypothesized
relationships are confirmed.
 Types of Research
• Exploratory Research: The objective of exploratory research is
to gather preliminary information that will help define problems and
suggest hypotheses. Exploratory research helps in determine the
best research design, data collection method and selection of
subjects. Exploratory research relies on secondary research such
as reviewing literature, data, informal discussion with consumer,
employees
• Descriptive Research (Statistical Research): describes data
and characteristics about the population, attitude of consumer etc.
• Casual Research: is to test hypothesis about cause-and-
effect relationships. The marketer tries to determine if the
manipulation of one variable, called the independent variable,
affects another variable, called dependent variable.
DIRECTIONS OF REASONING
 Criteria of Good Research
1.The purpose of the research should be clearly
defined and common concepts be used.
2. The research procedure used should be described
in sufficient detail to permit another researcher to
repeat the research for further advancement,
keeping the continuity of what
has already been attained.
3. The procedural design of the research should be
carefully planned to yield results that areas
objective as possible.
4. The researcher should report with complete
frankness, flaws in procedural design and
estimate their effects upon the findings .
 Criteria of Good Research
5. The analysis of data should be sufficiently adequate to
reveal its significance and the methods of analysis
used should be appropriate. The validity and reliability of
the data should be checked carefully.
6. Conclusions should be confined to those justified by the
data of the research and limited to those for which the
data provide an adequate basis.
7. Greater confidence in research is warranted if the
researcher is experienced, has a good reputation in
research and is a person of integrity.
 Qualities of a good research
1. Good research is systematic:
2. Good research is logical:
3. Good research is empirical:
4. Good research is replicable