Research Design

B U S I N E S S R E S E A RC H

RESEARCH APPROACHES & DESIGN

INTRODUCTION

• Research approach & research design are two terms that are frequently used interchangeably; however research design is a broader plan to conduct a study, & research approach is an important element of the research design, which governs it.

INTRODUCTION

• A research design is the framework or guide used for the planning, implementation, & analysis of a study.• It is a systematic plan of what is to be

done, how it will be done, & how the data will be analyzed.

RESEARCH DESIGN

• An illustration:— Organic Food Industry• Objective: To investigate consumer

decision making process for organic food products and to segment the market according to basket size.• On conducting extensive review of the literature,

it was found that the organic consumption is not always a consumer driven choice; rather it might be the seller who influence the product choice.

RESEARCH DESIGN

• An illustration:— Organic Food Industry• Thus, a research design was formulated to study the

organic consumers decision stages.• Once the design is selected and a proposed

sampling plan is developed, the next step requires is that the constructs and variables to be studied must be operationalized.• On defining the consumers, the researcher realized

the significance of the psychographics of the individual – the attitude, interest and opinion

RESEARCH DESIGN

• An illustration:— Organic Food Industry• Thus, the researcher needs to look at the

psychographic profile of the existing as well as potential consumers with a similar mindset.• This led to the revision in the research question…• To investigate the consumer decision making

process for organic food products and to segment the market – existing and potential – according to their psychographic profile

INTRODUCTION

• Research design basically provides an outline of how the research will be carried out & the methods that will be used.• It includes the descriptions of the research

approaches, dependent & independent variables, sampling design, & planning format for data collection, analysis & presentation.

INTRODUCTION

• The research design is the master plan specifying the methods & procedures for collecting & analyzing the needed information in a research study.• Research design is a plan of how, when &

where data are to be collected & analyzed.• Research design is the researcher’s overall

plan for answering the research questions or testing the research hypothesis.

INTRODUCTION

• Research design can be defined as a blue print to conduct a research study, which involves the description of research approach, study setting, sampling size, sampling technique, tools & method of data collection & analysis to answer a is specific research questions or for testing research hypothesis.

ELEMENTS OF

RESEARCH

DESIGN

The approach

Qualitative

Quantitative

Or both

With/without a

conceptual framework

Population, sample & sampling technique

Time & place of data collection

Tools & Methods of data collection

Method of data

analysis

ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN

• It involves the description of the plan to investigate the phenomenon under study in a structured (quantitative), unstructured (qualitative) or a combination of the two methods (quantitative-qualitative integrated approach).• Therefore, the approach helps to decide

about the presence or absence as well as manipulation & control over variables.

ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN

• It also helps to identify the presence or absence of & comparison between groups.• The approach of research study depends

on several factors, but primarily on the nature of phenomenon under study.• At this stage of the research study,

conceptual framework may or may not be incorporated.

POPULATION, SAMPLE, AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE…

• Research design also provides the researcher with directions about population, sample & sampling technique, which will be used for the research study.• For example, in an ethnographic

qualitative research design, a researcher gets the directive that the population will be a specific cultural group & the study will include a small sample selected through a nonprobability sampling technique.

THE TIME, PLACE AND SOURCES OF DATA COLLECTION…

• Time (specifying days, months, & years of study), location (study setting) & the sources of the requisite data are the other important constituents essential to ensure effective planning to conduct a research study.

TOOLS AND METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION…

• This element of research design involves the description of different tools & methods of data collection, for example, questionnaires, interview, direct observation or any other methods that suit the particular approach of the research as well as nature of the phenomenon under study.

METHODS OF THE DATA ANALYSIS…

• A research design must also include the description of the methods of data analysis - either quantitative or qualitative data analysis techniques – that helps the researcher to collect the relevant data, which later can be analyzed as per the research design plan.• Without a formal plan of data analysis a

researcher may collect irrelevant data, which can later become difficult to analyze.

SELECTION OF

RESEARCH DESIGN

SELECTING RESEARCH DESIGN

• The selection of a research design largely depends on the nature of the research problem, the resources available (cost, time, expertise of the researcher), accessibility of subjects, & research ethics.• However, the main factors which affect the

selection of research design in following designs:

FACTORS AFFECTING SELECTION OF RESEARCH DESIGN…

• Nature of the research problem: This is the most important factor, which helps the researcher to decide about the selection of a research design.• Based on the nature of research problem

or phenomenon, researchers decide whether it should be investigated through an experimental, or non-experimental approach.


• Purpose of the study: Study may be conducted for the purpose of prediction, description, exploration, or correlation of the research variable. Therefore, the purpose of the research study helps the researcher to choose a suitable research design.


• Researcher’s knowledge & experience: Selection of research design is largely influenced by the researcher’s knowledge & experience, because they avoid using those designs wherein they lack confidence, relevant knowledge, or experience.


• Researcher’s interest & motivation: Interest & motivation levels help researchers decide about the particular research design(s). Motivated researchers always analyze most aspects of research design before selecting one or a combination, while casual & callous researchers may choose research design(s) that may lead to failure.


• Research ethics & principle: The incorporation & application of ethical & legal principles in the research design are essential. This includes moral obligations such as respect for participants & their rights, informed consent, & protection from harm, including any adverse effects to educational progress, health & well-being.


• Selection of a research design is significantly influenced by the ethics of the research study.• For example, a researcher may be willing to

conduct a research study through a certain experimental approach, but problems of ethical approval may stop the researcher to do so & he or she may have to settle for another available possible research design.


• Subjects/participants: The number & availability of study subjects may influence the selection of research design. If only few subjects are involved, an in-depth qualitative researcher may opt for qualitative research design.


• Resources: None of the researcher can conduct without resources such as money, equipment, facilities, & support from collegeagues. However, some of the studies require more amounts of resources as compared to others. Therefore, the selection of a research design may be affected by the availability of resources for the research study.


• Time: Time is also a major deciding factors for the selection of research design. For example, a researcher needs more time to conduct longitudinal studies, while cross-sectional studies may be conducted in shorter time. Therefore, time is also a significant contributing factor in selection of a research design.


• Users of the study findings: A research design also various methods of data collection & data analysis. Therefore, while choosing a research design, researcher must ensure that research design is as appropriate for the users of the study findings as possible, so that maximum advantage of the results can be obtained.


• Possible control on extraneous variables:• An efficient design can:• maximize result,• decrease errors, &• control pre-existing or impaired conditions that

may affect the outcome of the study.• For example, a researcher wants to conduct a

study through experimental design but because of inability to control selected extraneous variables

TYPES OF

RESEARCH DESIGN

TYPES OF RESEARCH DESIGN

• Generally research designs are classified into two broad categories, & several subtypes • Quantitative research design• Qualitative research design

QUANTITATIVERESEARCH

DESIGN

TYPES OF QUANTITATIVE RD

• Experimental research design• Non-Experimental research design• Other additional research design

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGN

• Experiment is used to infer a causality.• Researcher actively manipulates one or

more casual variables and measure their effect on the dependent variables of interest• E.g. The sales manager of a soft drink company

send some of his sales personnel for new sales training program for three months. After the training, when the personnel returned to their respective areas the sales increased by 20 %.• Sales training is a causal variable and increase in

sales is an effect variable.


• Concepts used in Experiments:• Independent Variable: These are explanatory

variables or treatments• Test Units: These are those entities on which

treatment are applied. E.g. Individuals, organizations, geographic areas• Dependent Variable: These measure the effects

of those treatments. E.g. Sales, profit, market share etc.


• Concepts used in Experiments:• Experiment: Experiment is executed when the

researcher manipulates one or more independent variable and measure the effect on the dependent variable• Extraneous variable: These are the variables

other than the independent variables that influence the response of the test units to the treatments. E.g. store size, advertising effort of competitors, government policies etc.

VALIDITY IN EXPERIMENTS

• Internal Validity• Tries to examine whether the observed effect

on a dependent variable is actually caused by the treatments.

• External Validity• Generalization of the result of an experiment

beyond the experimental situations. If it is possible to generalize the result then to what settings, time.


• Factors affecting Internal Validity• History: Specific events that are external to the

experiment but occur at the same time as the experiment. Like improved sales could be because improves economic condition• Maturation: Changes over time can be caused

by a natural learning process. Like People naturally grow older, tired, bored, over time. Sales people might have gained experience over time.


• Factors affecting Internal Validity• Testing: People realize they are being studied, and

respond the way they think is appropriate• Instrumentation: Effect caused by change in

measuring instrument used for taking an observation. Like price difference in measuring before and after sales.• Statistical regression: Using extreme scores• Selection bias: Improper assignment of test units

to treatments.• Test Unit Morality: Some test units may drop out

of the experiment while it is in progress


• Factors Affecting External Validity• Environment at the time of the test may be

different than the environment of the real world where these results are to be generated• Population used for the experiments may not be

similar to the population where the results of the experiment are to be applied• Results generated in the 5-6 weeks of study

may not hold in an application of 12 months

METHODS TO CONTROL EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES

• Randomization• Random assignment of the test unit to the

experimental groups as a result of which the extraneous variables will operate equally in the group. This is effective in large samples.

• Matching• Match various groups by confounding variables. E.g.

there are 120 people to be distributed in three groups. There are 45 females among 120 members, then each of the three groups is assigned 15 females. This way the effect of the gender can be distributed across all the three groups.

METHODS TO CONTROL EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES

• Statistical Control• ANCOVA (Analysis of the covariance) etc.

NON-EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGN

• Descriptive design• Univariante descriptive design: Studies

undertaken to describe the frequency of occurrence of a phenomenon rather than to study relationship

• Comparative descriptive design: Comparing occurrences of a phenomenon in two or more group.

• Accurate description of characteristics of individual, situation, or group, & the frequency with which a certain phenomenon occurs in natural setting without imposing any control or manipulation


• Correlational/Ex post facto design • Examining the relationship between two or

more variables in a natural setting without manipulation or control (cause & effect relationship)• Prospective design: Examining

relationship from cause to effect.• Retrospective design: Examining

relationship from effect to cause.


• Developmental Research Design • Examining the phenomenon in respect to

the time• Cross-sectional design:• Examining the phenomenon only at one point in

time. E.g. Cross- Sectional study on the attitude of the Americans towards the Asian-Americans pre and post 9/11


• Developmental Research Design • Examining the phenomenon in respect to

the time• Longitudinal design: Examining the

phenomenon at more than one point in time• Single sample of the identified population that

is studied over a stretched period of time. • These are often referred to as time series

designs due to repeated measurements taken over time.


• Survey Research design• Survey studies are investigation in which

self-reported data are collected from sample with the purpose of describing population on some variables of interest.

OTHER ADDITIONAL RESEARCH DESIGN

• Meta-analysis• Quantitatively combing & integrating the findings

of the multiple research studies on a particular topic.

• Secondary data analysis• A research design in which the data collected in

one research is re-analyzed by another researcher, usually to test new hypotheses.

• Evaluation studies• It is research design which involves the judgment

about success of a programmes, practices, procedures, or policies.

OTHER ADDITIONAL RESEARCH DESIGN

• Operational research• Operational research involves the study of

complex human organizations & services to develop new knowledge about institutions, programmes, use of facilities, & personnel in order to improve working efficiency of an organization

QUALITATIVERESEARCH

DESIGN

QUALITATIVE DESIGNS

• Ethnographic research• Ethnographic research involves the information

collected from certain cultural groups, by living with people of those groups & from their key informants, who are believed to be most knowledgeable about the selected culture.

QUALITATIVE DESIGNS

• Case studies • Research on a phenomenon by studying in

depth a single case example. The case can be an individual person , an event , a group, or an institution.

• Historical research• Systematic collection & objective evaluation of data

related to past occurrences in order to test hypotheses concerning causes, effects, or trends of these events that may help to explain present events & anticipate future events.

Documents

Research Design