Research Methodology and Design of Experiment (MEng 4324 )

By

Dr. Perumalla Janaki Ramulu

Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering

School of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering,

Adama Science and Technology University,
Adama, Ethiopia.
Email: perumalla.janaki@astu.edu.et
 Course Content
Chapter 1: Introduction to Research Methodology Meaning, Process, Defining, Research Problem: Selection,
Understanding, Necessity of defined problem, Research Design, need and types of Research Design
Chapter 2: Data Collection: Primary (Interview, Observation and Questionnaire and Collection of Secondary Data
2.1. Data Analysis-1: Measure for Central Tendency, Dispersion
2.2 Data Analysis-2: Correlation And Regression Analysis, Time series and index number
2.3 Hypothesis Testing: Hypothesis Definition and Formulation
2.4 t test, z test, ANOVA
Chapter 3:
3.1 Introduction to DOE
3.2 Simple Comparative Experiments
3.3 ANOVA, model checking
3.4 sample size, regression approach.
Chapter 4: Randomized Blocks, Latin Squares and related designs
4.1 Introduction to Factorial Designs
4.2 The 2k Factorial Design,
4.3 Blocking and confounding in the 2k factorial design
4.4 Introduction to 2 and 3-level fractional factorial design.
Chapter 5: Fitting regression models
5.1 Introduction to response Surface methods
5.2 Taguchi design
 Mode of Course Delivery

Through PPT: 75%

Offline Method
Using Board:25%

Course Intensity
This course is planned for those interested in the design, conduct, and analysis of experiments
in the physical, chemical, biological, medical, social, psychological, economic, engineering, or
industrial sciences. The course examines how to design experiments, carry them out, and
analyze the data they yield. Various designs are discussed and their respective differences,
advantages, and disadvantages are noted.
 Course Assessment
Type of Assessment Weightage in % Mode of Submission
Submission Date/Exam Date
Quiz 10 Individual March 20th 2024
Assignments 10 Individual April 5th 2024
Report writing 35 Team May 10th 2024
Mid Exam 20 Individual As per Dept. schedule
Final Exam 25 Individual As per Dept. schedule
 Chapter 1

Introduction to Research Methodology: Meaning, Process

Defining Research Problem: Selection, Understanding, Necessity of defined

problem,

Research Design: Need and types of Research Design

 Meaning of Research

• Research is an art of scientific investigation.

• Research is an academic activity which comprises defining and
redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions,
collecting, organizing and evaluating data, making deductions and
reaching conclusions and at last carefully testing the conclusions to
determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis.
 Objectives of Research

1. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new

insights into it
2. To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular
individual, situation or a group
3. To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with
which it is associated with something else
4. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables
 Types of Research
1. Descriptive vs. Analytical
2. Applied vs. Fundamental
3. Quantitative vs. Qualitative
4. Conceptual vs. Empirical
 Descriptive vs. Analytical
• Descriptive research includes surveys and fact-finding enquiries of different
kinds. It uses descriptive studies in which researcher seeks to measure
characteristics like, shopping behaviour, preferences, etc. Generally survey
methods are used for descriptive research.
• Analytical research includes use of facts and information already available
and analyze these to make a critical evaluation of the material
 Fundamental vs. Applied
• Fundamental research is concerned with generalizations and with the formulation
of the theory. Research concerning some natural phenomenon or relating to pure
mathematics are examples of fundamental research. Its basic aim is finding
information that has a broad base of application.
• Applied research aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem facing a
society or business organization. Marketing research, trend analysis are examples
of applied 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. For example, questionnaire survey result.
• Qualitative research is concerned with qualitative phenomenon like
relating to or involving the reasons or motives for human behaviour.
For example, word association, tests, sentence completion tests,
story completion, etc.
 Conceptual vs. Empirical
• Conceptual research is that related to some abstract ideas
or theory. It is generally used by philosophers and thinkers
to develop new concepts or to reinterpret the existing one.
• Empirical research relies on experience or observation,
often with some data based research. It is necessary to get
all facts and information at first hand.
 Research Methods and Methodology
• Research methods may be understood as all those
methods/techniques that are used for conduction of
research. It refers to the methods the researcher uses in
performing research operations. Research methods can be
put into following three groups:
 Concerned with data collection
 Concerned with statistical Techniques
 Concerned with methods of evaluating the accuracy of the results
obtained
 Cont…
• Research Methodology is a way to systematically solve
the research problem. It may be understood as a science of
studying how research is done scientifically.
• When we talk of research methodology we do not only
talk of the research methods but also the logic behind the
methods we use in the context of our research.
• Research Methodology has many dimensions and research
methods do constitute a part of it.
 Logic Behind Research
• Explosive growth and influence of the Internet
• Stakeholders demanding greater influence
• More vigorous competition
• More government intervention
• More complex decisions
• Maturing of management as a group of disciplines
• Greater computing power and speed – lower cost data collection, better
visualization tools, powerful computations, more integration of data, more and
faster access to information, advanced analytical tools for enhanced insights,
customized reporting
• New perspectives on established research methodologies
 Information and Decision Making in Research
• Goals
• Decision Support – Decision Support System, Intranet,
Extranet
• Business Intelligence System (BIS)
• Strategy – general approach an organization will follow to
achieve its goals
• Tactics – specific and timed activities that execute strategy
 Characteristics of Good Scientific Research
1. Purpose Clearly defined
2. Research process detailed
3. Research design thoroughly planned
4. High ethical standards applied
5. Limitations frankly revealed
6. Analysis adequate for decision maker’s needs
7. Findings presented unambiguously
8. Conclusions justified
 Research and the Scientific Method
Sound Reasoning – finding correct premises, testing the connections between their
facts and assumptions, making claims based on adequate evidence .
Essentials of Scientific Methods
• Direct observation of phenomena
• Clearly defined variables, methods and procedures
• Empirically testable hypotheses
• The ability to rule out rival hypotheses
• Statistical rather than linguistic justification of conclusions
• The self-correcting process
 Research and the Scientific Method
Empiricism – to denote observations and propositions based on sensory experience
and/or from such experiences by methods of inductive logic, including mathematics
and statistics
Steps for conducting Empirical research
• Encounter a curiosity, doubt, suspicion or obstacle
• Struggle to state the problem
• Proposes a hypothesis, a plausible explanation of facts related to problem
• Deduces outcomes or consequences of the hypothesis
• Formulates several rival hypotheses
• Devise and conduct a crucial empirical test with various possible outcomes
• Draws a conclusion based on acceptance or rejection of the hypotheses
• Feeds information back into the original problem, modifying it according to the
strengths of the evidence
 Research and the Scientific Method
Sound Reasoning for Useful Answers
• Exposition – consists of statements that describe without attempting to
explain
• Argument – allows us to explain, interpret, defend, challenge and explore
meaning
• Deduction – a form of argument that purports to be conclusive and logical,
related to real world and valid
• Induction – drawing a conclusion from one or more particular facts or
pieces of evidence
• Combining induction and deduction
 The Language of Research
• Concept – is a generally accepted collection of meanings or characteristics
associated with certain events, objects, conditions, situations and behaviors
• Construct – is an image or abstract idea specifically invented for a given
research and/or theory-building purpose
• Hypothetical Construct – inferred from the data, presumed to exist and requires
further testing
• Conceptual Scheme – showing logical interrelationship between concepts and
constructs
• Operational Definition – a definition stated in terms of specific criteria for
testing or measurement, which are empirical; may explain the characteristics of
object/s
• Variables – synonym for construct and is a symbol of an event, act,
characteristics, trait or attribute that can be measured and valued; may be
continuous or dichotomous
 The Language of Research
• Independent variable – assumed to be creating significant impact on other
variables
• Dependent variable – is measured, predicted or monitored and is expected to be
affected by manipulation of an independent variable
• Moderating Variable – is a second independent variable that is included because
it is believed to have significant contributory or contingent effect on the
originally stated IV-DV relationship
• Extraneous Variable – exist that might conceivably affect a given relationship
• Control Variable – introduced to help interpret the relationship between
variables
• Intervening Variables – that factor which theoretically affects the observed
phenomenon but cannot be seen, measured or manipulated; its effect must be
inferred from the effects of the independent and moderator variables on the
observed phenomenon
 Propositions and Hypotheses
• Proposition – a statement about observable phenomena that may be judged as
true or false
• Hypothesis – when a proposition is formulated for empirical finding, it is called
hypothesis
• Descriptive Hypotheses – state the existence, size, form or distribution of some
variables
• Relational Hypotheses – statements that describe a relationship between two
variables with respect to some case
• Correlational Hypothesis – state that the variables occur together in some
specified manner without implying that one causes the other
• Causal Hypothesis – implying that the existence of or a change in one variable
causes or leads to a change in other variable
 Propositions and Hypotheses
The Role of the Hypothesis
• Guides the direction of the study
• Identifies facts that are relevant and those that are met
• Suggests which form of research design is likely to be most
appropriate
• Provides a framework for organizing the conclusions that result

What is a strong Hypotheses?

• Adequate for its purpose
• Testable
• Better than its rivals
 Propositions and Hypotheses
• Theory – a set of systematically interrelated concepts, definitions
and propositions that are advanced to explain and predict
phenomena (facts).
• Models – a representation of a system that is constructed to study
some aspect of that system or the system as a whole
• Theory’s role is explanation, where as the Model’s role is
representation
 Chapter 2:
Data Collection: Primary (Interview, Observation and Questionnaire
and Collection of Secondary Data
2.1. Data Analysis-1: Measure for Central Tendency, Dispersion
2.2 Data Analysis-2: Correlation And Regression Analysis, Time series
and index number
2.3 Hypothesis Testing: Hypothesis Definition and Formulation
2.4 t test, z test, ANOVA
 Methods of Data Collection
1. Primary data collection
2. Secondary data collection
Collection of Primary Data
Primary data are those data which are collected for the first time and these are in original in
character.
Methods of Collecting Primary Data
1. Observation
2. Interview 8. Panel method
3. Questionnaire 9. Mail survey
4. Schedule 10. Projective technique
5. Experimentation 11. Sociometry
6. Simulation 12. Focus group discussion
7. Use of telephone 13. Content analysis
 Collection of Secondary Data

Secondary data are those which have been collected by some other persons for his
purpose and published. They are usually in the shape of finished products.

Advantages of Secondary data

• The information can be collected by incurring least cost.
• The time requires for obtaining the information is very less.
• Most of the secondary data are those published by big institutions. So they contain
large quantity of information..
Disadvantages of Secondary data
• Since the secondary data is a result of some other person’ s attempt, it need not be suitable
for a researcher, who makes use of it.
• It may be inaccurate and unreliable.
• It may contain certain errors.

Precautions to be taken before using Secondary Data

• Suitability: - The investigator should satisfy him that the data available are
suitable for the enquiry on hand.

• Adequacy: - the adequacy of the data should be tested by studying the items
covered by the original enquiry and the items to be covered by the enquiry.

• Reliability:- The reliability of secondary data should be tested

 Sources of Secondary Data

There are varieties of published sources from which one can get information for his
research work.

The important such sources are;

1. Official report of the central, state and local government.
2. Official publications of the foreign governments and international bodies like UNO
and its subordinate bodies.
3. Reports and publications of Trade Associations, Banks, Cooperative Societies and
Similar Semi Government and Autonomous Organizations.
4. Technical journals, News papers, Books, Periodicals, etc.
5. Publications of research Organizations, Centers, Institutes, and reports submitted
by
Economists, Research scholars etc.
 Difference between Primary data and Secondary data

1. Primary data is Original in character. Secondary data is not original

2. Collection of data is expensive in the case of primary data. Collection of secondary
data is less expensive.
3. Primary data is in the shape of raw materials. Secondary data is the shape of
finished products.
4. Primary data is adequate and suitable. Secondary data need no be ample and
opposite.
 Choice between Primary and Secondary Method

The following factors are to be considered while choosing between primary and
secondary methods.
1. Nature and scope of enquiry
2. Availability of time and money
3. Degree of accuracy desired.
4. Status of the investigator
Data Analysis-1: Measure for Central Tendency, Dispersion

Measures of Central Tendency: Mean - Median – Mode- Midrange.

Measures of Dispersion: Range - Quartile Deviation - Mean Deviation - Standard
Deviation and Co-efficient of Variation.
Central Values – Many times one number is used to describe the entire sample or
population. Such a number is called an average. There are many ways to compute an
average.

 There are 4 values that are considered measures of the center.

1. Mean
2. Median
3. Mode
4. Midrange
Mean – the arithmetic average with which you are the most familiar.

• Mean: sum of all x

x  bar 
number of x

x
x
n
 Examples
Find the mean of the array.
4, 3, 8, 9, 1, 7, 12 23, 25, 26, 29, 39, 42, 50

 x 4  3  8  9  1  7  12 44
x    6.29  6.3
n 7 7
x 23  25  26  29  39  42  50
x  
n 7
234
x   33.4
7
 Median
 Median – the middle number in an ordered set of numbers. Divides the data into
two equal parts.
 Odd # in set: falls exactly on the middle number.
 Even # in set: falls in between the two middle values in the set; find the average of
the two middle values.
Example
• Find the median.
• A. 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 - the median is 4.
• B. 6, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10
median = (8+9)/2 = 8.5.
Mode
 The number that occurs most often.
 Suggestion: Sort the numbers in L1 to make it easier to see the grouping of the numbers.
 You can have a single number for the mode, no mode, or more than one number.

Example
Find the mode.
The mode is 2
1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1, 3, 3

A. 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 - no mode

B. 4, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 6, 9 - 4 ,6, and 9
Midrange
The number exactly midway between the lowest value and highest value of the
data set. It is found by averaging the low and high numbers.

( Low value  High Value )

midrange 
2

3, 3, 5, 6, 8
(3  8) 11
midrange    5 .5
2 2
 Measures of Dispersion
Dispersion
The measure of the spread or variability

No Variability – No Dispersion
There are 3 values used to measure the amount of dispersion or variation. (The
spread of the group)
1. Range
2. Variance
3. Standard Deviation
Why is it Important?
You want to choose the best brand of paint for your house. You are interested in how long the
paint lasts before it fades and you must repaint. The choices are narrowed down to 2 different
paints. The results are shown in the chart. Which paint would you choose?
The chart indicates the number of months a paint lasts before fading.
Paint A Paint B
10 35
60 45
50 30
30 35
40 40
20 25
210 210
Does the Average Help?
Paint A: Avg = 210/6 = 35 months
Paint B: Avg = 210/6 = 35 months
They both last 35 months before
fading.
No help in deciding which to buy.
Consider the Spread
Paint A: Spread = 60 – 10 = 50 months
Paint B: Spread = 45 – 25 = 20 months
Paint B has a smaller variance which means
that it performs more consistently. Choose
paint B.
Range

The range is the difference between the lowest value in the set and the highest value in the
set.

Range = High # - Low #

Example

40, 30, 15, 2, 100, 37, 24, 99

Range = 100 – 2 = 98
Deviation from the Mean
A deviation from the mean, x – x bar, is the difference between the value of x and the mean x
bar.

We base our formulas for variance and standard deviation on the amount that they deviate
from the mean.
Variance Formula Standard Deviation

( x) 2 The standard deviation is the square root of the variance.

x 2

s2  n
n 1

s  s 2
Find the variance.
6, 3, 8, 5, 3
x x 2

6 36
3 9
8 64
5 25
3 9
 x  25  x  143
2
 ( x) 2
 x2 
s2  n
n 1

25 2
143 
5 143  125 18
s 
2
   4 .5
4 4 4
The standard deviation is the square root of the variance.

s  4.5  2.12