Research Design

Research Design: Definition

A research design is a framework or blueprint for conducting the research project. It details the procedures necessary for obtaining the information needed to structure or solve a research problems.

Components of a Research Design

Purpose of the study Type of investigation Extent of researchers interference Study setting Unit of analysis Time horizon

Sampling design Data collection methods Measurements & data analysis

Purpose of the study:A Classification of Research Designs

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

Objective:

Characteristics:

Methods:

A Comparison of Basic Research Designs

Discovery of ideas and insights

Flexible, versatile

Often the front end of total research design

Expert surveysPilot surveysSecondary dataQualitative research

Describe general characteristics or functions

Marked by the prior formulation of specific hypotheses

Preplanned and structured design

Secondary dataSurveysPanelsObservation and other data

Determine cause and effect relationships

Manipulation of one or more independent variables

Control of other mediating variables

Experiments

Exploratory Descriptive Causal

Uses of Exploratory Research

Formulate a problem or define a problem more precisely

Identify alternative courses of action Develop hypotheses Isolate key variables and

relationships for further examination Gain insights for developing an

approach to the problem Establish priorities for further

research

Methods of Exploratory Research

Survey of experts Pilot surveys . Secondary data analyzed in a qualitative way.

Qualitative research .

Use of Descriptive Research To describe the characteristics of

relevant groups, such as consumers, salespeople, organizations, or market areas.

To estimate the percentage of units in a specified population exhibiting a certain behavior.

To determine the perceptions of product or samples’ characteristics.

To determine the degree to which variables are associated.

To make specific predictions

Methods of Descriptive Research Secondary data analyzed in a

quantitative as opposed to a qualitative manner

Surveys Panels Observational and other data

Uses of Casual Research To understand which variables are

the cause (independent variables) and which variables are the effect (dependent variables) of a phenomenon

To determine the nature of the relationship between the causal variables and the effect to be predicted

METHOD: Experiments

Type of Investigation

Causal The study in which the researcher

wants to delineate the cause of one or more problems is called a causal study.

Correlation The study in which the researcher is

interested in delineating the important variables associated with the problem, the study is called as correlation study.

Extent of researchers interference

Degree of interference by the researcher for manipulating & control of variables either in natural or lab settings Minimal Moderate excessive

Study settings Contrived

Study conducted in artificial settings.

Causal studies are normally in contrived settings

Non contrived Natural environment where work proceeds normally.

Correlation studies are normally conducted in non contrived settings.

Unit of analysis

Individual Dyads Groups

Teams Departments Organizations Cultures countries

Time horizon

Cross sectional Longitudinal

Cross-sectional Designs Involve the collection of

information from any given sample of population elements only once.

In single cross-sectional designs, there is only one sample of respondents and information is obtained from this sample only once.

In multiple cross-sectional designs, there are two or more samples of respondents, and information from each sample is obtained only once. Often, information from different samples is obtained at different times.

Cohort analysis consists of a series

of surveys conducted at appropriate time intervals, where the cohort serves as the basic unit of analysis. A cohort is a group of respondents who experience the same event within the same time interval.

Consumption of Various Soft Drinksby Various Age Cohorts

8-1920-2930-3940-4950+

Age 1960 1969 19791950

52.945.233.923.218.1

62.660.746.640.828.8C1

73.276.067.758.650.0C2

81.075.871.467.851.9C3

C8C7C6C5C4

C1: cohort born prior to 1900C2: cohort born 1901-10C3: cohort born 1911-20C4: cohort born 1921-30

C5: cohort born 1931-40C6: cohort born 1940-49C7: cohort born 1950-59C8: cohort born 1960-69

Percentage consuming on a typical day

Longitudinal Designs

A fixed sample (or samples) of population elements is measured repeatedly on the same variables

A longitudinal design differs from a cross-sectional design in that the sample or samples remain the same over time

Relative Advantages and Disadvantages of Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Designs

Evaluation Criteria

Cross-Sectional Design

Longitudinal Design

Detecting ChangeLarge amount of data collectionAccuracyRepresentative SamplingResponse bias

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Note: A “+” indicates a relative advantage over the other design, whereas a “-” indicates a relative disadvantage.

Exercise-1 Ms.Joyce the owner of a small

business ( a women’s dress boutique) has invited a consultant to tell her how her business is different from similar small business with in a sixty mile radius with respect to use of the most modern computer technology, sales volume, profit margin and staff training.

Develop the research design.

Exercise-2

Mr.Paul the owner of several restaurants in southern Tamilnadu is concerned about the wide difference in their profit margin. He would like to try some incentive plan for increasing the efficiency levels of those restaurants that lag behind. But before he actually does this, he would like to be assured that the idea would work. He asks a researcher to help him on this issue

Exercise-3

A manager is intrigued why some people seem to derive joy form work and get recognized by it while others find it troublesome and frustrating. Develop a research design for the above