Lecture 4

The Research Design

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Meaning of Research Design
 Research design is the plan, structure and strategy
of investigation conceived so as to obtain answers
to research questions and to control variance
 It is the overall operational pattern or framework of
the project that stipulates what information is to be
collected from which sources by what procedures
 The decisions regarding what, where, when, how
much, by what means concerning a research
project constitute a research design
 It constitutes the blueprint for the collection,
measurement and analysis of data

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The design decisions happen to be in respect of:
 What is the study about?
 Why is the study being made?
 Where will the study be carried out?
 What type of data is required?
 Where can the required data be found?
 What periods of time will the study include?
 What will be the sample design?
 What techniques of data collection will be used?
 How will the data be analyzed?
 In what style will the report be prepared?

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The overall research design may split into
 Sampling design - deals with the method of
selecting items to be observed for the given study
 Observational design - relates to the conditions
under which the observations are to be made
 Statistical design - concerns with the question of
how many items are to be observed and how data
gathered are to be analyzed
 Operational design - techniques by which the
procedures specified in the sampling, statistical and
observational designs can be carried out

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Essentials of research Designs
 The design is an activity-and-time-based plan
 The design is always based on the research question
 The design guides the selection of sources and types
of information
 The design is a framework for specifying the
relationships among the study’s variables
 The design outlines procedure for every research
activity

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Steps in research design
 Identify research problem
 Determine purpose of research
 Develop theoretical framework
 Define research questions/hypothesis
 Define terms
 Identify limitations of the study
 Decide methodology
 Determine expected outcome

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Forms of research design
 Two broad methodology groups can be used to
answer any research problem
 Experimental and Non-experimental

 The difference between the two is

 In the control of extraneous variables
 Manipulation of at least one independent variable by
the intervention of the investigator in experimental
research

Example
 Testing the relationship between intensity of light
on the level of productivity
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Design for Exploratory Research Study
 Also termed as formulative research studies
 The main purpose of such studies is
 formulating a problem for more precise

investigation
 developing the working hypotheses from an

operational point of view

 discovery of ideas and insights

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Inbuilt flexibility in research design is needed
 To provide opportunity for considering different
aspects of a problem under study
 To transform the research problem, broadly defined
initially, into one with more precise meaning in
exploratory studies,
 To make necessary changes in the research procedure
for gathering relevant data

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A. Survey of Concerning Literature
 The researcher should review and build upon the
work already done by others
 In cases where hypotheses have not yet been
formulated, the task is to review the available
material for deriving the relevant hypotheses from it
 Hypotheses stated by earlier works may be reviewed
and their usefulness be evaluated as a basis for further
research
 It may also be considered whether the already stated
hypotheses suggest new hypothesis

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 Besides, the bibliographical survey of studies, already
made in one’s area of interest may as well be made by
the researcher for precisely formulating the problem.
 Sometimes the works of creative writers also provide
a fertile ground for hypothesis-formulation and as
such may be looked into by the researcher.

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B. Experience Survey
 The survey of people who have had practical
experience with the problem to be studied
 People who are competent and can contribute new
ideas may be carefully selected as respondents to
ensure a representation of different types of
experience
 The object of such a survey is to obtain insight into
the relationships between variables and new ideas
relating to the research problem
 The Interview must ensure flexibility to enable
respondents to raise issues and questions that the
investigator has not previously considered
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C. Analysis of ‘Insight-Stimulating Cases’
 It is particularly suitable in areas where there is little
experience to serve as a guide
 This method consists of intensive study of selected
instances of the phenomenon.
 For that purpose, the existing records may be
examined (if any)
 The unstructured interview may be conducted. The
question

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The instances commonly chosen in social
science are:
 Cases that provide sharp contrasts or
 Cases having striking features are considered to be
relatively more useful to identify problems

Examples:
 Reaction of stranger

 The reaction of marginalized people.

 The study of individual who are in transition.

 The reaction of people from different social strata.

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 Thus, in an exploratory or formulative research
study, which merely leads to insights or hypotheses,
whatever method or research design outlined above
is adopted, the only thing essential is that it must
continue to remain flexible so that many different
facets of a problem may be considered as and when
they arise and come to the notice of the researcher.

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