RM 3 Research Design

8/2/2019 RM 3 Research Design

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Research Design


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Research Design

The research design is the masterplan specifying the methods andprocedures for collecting andanalyzing the needed information.


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Types of Research Design

Although every problem and researchobjective may seem unique, there are usuallyenough similarities among problems andobjectives to allow decisions to be made inadvance about the best plan to resolve theproblem.

There are some basic business research

designs that can be successfully matched togiven problems and research objectives.


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Types of Research Design

Three traditional categories of researchdesign:

Exploratory

Descriptive

Causal

The choice of the most appropriate designdepends largely on the objectives of theresearch and how much is known about theproblem and these objectives.


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Types of Research Designs Exploratory Research (huh?)

Designed to generate basic knowledge, clarify relevant issues uncovervariables associated with a problem, uncover information needs, and/ordefine alternatives for addressing research objectives.

A very flexible, open-ended process.

Descriptive Research (who, what, where, how)

Designed to provide further insight into the research problem by describingthe variables of interest.

Can be used for profiling, defining, segmentation, estimating, predicting,and examining associative relationships.

Causal Research (If-then)

Designed to provide information on potential cause-and-effectrelationships.

Most practical in marketing to talk about associations or impact of onevariable on another.


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Define the Information NeededDesign the Exploratory, Descriptive,and/or Causal Phases of the Research

Specify the Measurement and ScalingProceduresConstruct a Questionnaire

Specify the Sampling Process and theSample Size

Develop a Plan of Data Analysis

Tasks Involved In a Research Design

Todays

Topic


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A Classification of Research Designs

ResearchDesignExploratoryResearch ConclusiveResearch

DescriptiveDesign CausalDesignCross-sectionalStudy

LongitudinalStudy

SecondaryData Study

ObservationExperiment

Survey


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Research Design: Some Observations

The overall research design for a project mayinclude one or more of these three designs aspart(s) of it.

Further, if more than one design is to be used,typically we progress from Exploratory towardCausal.


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Basic Research Objectives and Research

Design

Appropriate

Design Research Objective

Exploratory To gain background information, to define terms, toclarify Exploratory problems and develop hypotheses, to

establish research priorities, to develop questions to be

answered

Descriptive To describe and measure marketing phenomena at a pointin time

Causal To determine causality, test hypotheses, to make if-then

statements, to answer questions


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Research Design: Exploratory Research

Exploratory research is most commonlyunstructured, informal research that isundertaken to gain background informationabout the general nature of the research

problem. Exploratory research is usually conducted

when the researcher does not know muchabout the problem and needs additional

information or desires new or more recentinformation.


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Exploratory research is used in a number ofsituations:

To gain background information

To define terms

To clarify problems and hypotheses

To establish research priorities

Assisting new product development

Establishing priorities or direction for aresearch program


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A variety of methods are available to conductexploratory research:

Secondary Data Analysis

Experience Surveys Case Analysis

Focus Groups

Projective Techniques


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Methods of Conducting Exploratory Research

Secondary data analysis. Secondary data refers to theprocess of searching for and interpreting existing inforelevant to the research problem (e.g., census data, articlesin journals, newspapers, etc.).

Experience (Expert) surveys. Refers to gathering infofrom those thought to be knowledgeable on the issuesrelevant to the problem (i.e., ask experts).

Case Analysis. Uses past situations that are similar to thepresent research problem.

Focus groups. Involves small (8-12) groups of peoplebrought together and guided by a moderator throughunstructured, spontaneous discussion.


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Research Design: Descriptive Research

Descriptive research is undertaken to provideanswers to questions of who, what, where,when, and how but not why.

Two basic classifications: Cross-sectional studies

Longitudinal studies


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Research Design: Descriptive ResearchCross-sectional Studies

Cross-sectional studies measure unitsfrom a sample of the population at only onepoint in time.

Sample surveys are cross-sectional studieswhose samples are drawn in such a way as tobe representative of a specific population.

On-line survey research is being used to

collect data for cross-sectional surveys at afaster rate of speed.


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Research Design: Descriptive ResearchLongitudinal Studies

Longitudinalstudiesrepeatedly drawsampleunits of a population over time.

One method is to draw different units from thesame sampling frame.

A second method is to use a panel where thesame people are asked to respond periodically.

On-line survey research firms recruit panelmembers to respond to online queries.


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Research Design: Descriptive ResearchLongitudinal Studies

Two types of panels:

Continuous panels ask panel members thesame questions on each panel measurement.

Discontinuous (Omnibus) panels varyquestions from one time to the next.

Longitudinal data used for:

Market tracking

Brand-switching Attitude and image checks


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Research Design: Causal Research

Causality may be thought of as understandinga phenomenon in terms of conditional

statements of the formIfx, then y. Causal relationships are typically determined

by the use of experiments, but other methodsare also used.


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Experiments

An experiment is defined as manipulating (changingvalues/situations) one or more independent variables tosee how the dependent variable(s) is/are affected, whilealso controlling the affects of additional extraneousvariables. Independent variables: those over which the researcher

has control and wishes to manipulate i.e. package size,ad copy, price.

Dependent variables: those over which the researcherhas little to no direct control, but has a strong interest

in testing i.e. sales, profit, market share. Extraneous variables: those that may effect a dependent

variable but are not independent variables.


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Experimental Design

An experimental design is a procedure fordevising an experimental setting such that achange in the dependent variable may be solelyattributed to a change in an independent

variable. Symbols of an experimental design:

O= measurement of a dependent variable

X = manipulation, or change, of an

independent variable R = random assignment of subjects to

experimental and control groups

E= experimental effect


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How Valid Are Experiments?

An experiment is valid if:

the observed change in the dependentvariable is, in fact, due to the independentvariable (internal validity)

if the results of the experiment apply to thereal world outside the experimental

setting (external validity)


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Types of Experiments

Two broad classes:

Laboratory experiments: those in which theindependent variable is manipulated andmeasures of the dependent variable are takenin a contrived, artificial setting for the purposeof controlling the many possible extraneousvariables that may affect the dependentvariable

Field experiments: those in which theindependent variables are manipulated andmeasurements of the dependent variable aremade on test units in their natural setting


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Thank You

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RM 3 Research Design