RESEARCH DESIGN

MEANING

A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with economy in procedure.

Research design always gives the answers of following questions :

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 the sample design ?How will the data be analyzed ?In what style will the report be prepared?

One can split the overall research design into following parts: Sampling design: the method of selecting items to be

observed

Observational design: the conditions under which observations are to be made

Statistical design: how many items to be observed and in what manner analysed

Operational design: the techniques by which the above mentioned procedure is to be carried out.

Need for research designSmooth sailing of the project

Yield maximum information with minimal resources

A better and more reliable result oriented study

Designing helps in identifying inadequacies and flaws before commencing with the study.

FEATURES OF GOOD DESIGN

Flexible Appropriate Efficient Economical Analytical accuracy Minimizes biases and maximizes reliability

Important concepts

A Classification of Marketing Research Studies

Single Cross-Sectional Design

Multiple Cross-Sectional Design

Research Design

Conclusive Research Design

Exploratory Research Design

Descriptive Research

Causal Research

Cross-Sectional Design

Longitudinal Design

Exploratory & Conclusive Research Differences

Objective:

Character-istics:

Findings/ Results:

Outcome:

To provide insights and understanding

Information needed is defined only loosely. Research process is flexible and unstructured. Sample is small and non-representative. Analysis of primary data is qualitative

Tentative

Generally followed by further exploratory or conclusive research

To test specific hypotheses and examine relationships

Information needed is clearly defined. Research process is formal and structured. Sample is large and representative. Data analysis is quantitative

Conclusive

Findings used as input into decision making

Exploratory Conclusive

Exploratory or Formulative study

Purpose – formulating a problem for more precise investigation

Major emphasis – on discovery of ideas & insights

Flexible design – must provide opportunity for considering different aspects of problem.

Following 3 methods are used in context of research designs for exploratory research studies

Descriptive & diagnostic study Descriptive research study – It is concerned with

describing the characteristics of particular individual, or of a group.

Diagnostic research study – determine the frequency with which something occurs or its association with something else.

Descriptive & diagnostic study includes following steps

Difference between exploratory & Descriptive / diagnostic study

Type of study EXPLORATORY STUDY

DESCRIPTIVE STUDYRESEARCH DESIGN

Overall design flexible design Rigid design

Sampling design Non probability Sampling design

Probability Sampling design

Statistical design No preplanned design for analysis

Preplanned design for analysis

Observational design Unstructured instruments for collection of data

Structured instruments for collection of data

Operational design No fixed decision about operational procedure

Advanced decision about operational procedure

Experimental research study

In this study researcher tests the hypothesis of casual relationship between variables.

It is also called hypothesis- testing research study

The investigator planning an experiment has many experimental design option to choose.

A Comparison of Basic Research Designs

Objective:

Characteristics:

Methods:

Discovery of ideas and insights

Flexible, versatile

Often the front end of total research design

Expert surveysPilot surveysCase studiesSecondary data:qualitative analysisqualitative research

Describe market characteristics or functions

Marked by the prior formulation of specific hypotheses

Preplanned and structured design

Secondary data:quantitative analysisSurveysPanelsObservation and other data

Determine cause and effect relationships

Manipulation of independent variables, effect on dependent variables

Control mediating variables

Experiments

Exploratory Descriptive CausalTable 3.2

End of Topic