Research Design

Research DesignThe role of planning in research

“If your result needs a statistician then you should design a better experiment” - Ernest Rutherford

Compiled: Athar Hussain

Objective

Understanding the importance of planning and designing approaches

or techniques used in research processes.


Research Design• The Design Problem

• Problem Structure – Exploratory Research– Descriptive Research– Casual Research

• Problem of “cause”

• Classic Experiment

Research Design


Research Design (cont.)

• Validity Threats

• Other Research Designs

• Requirement in Research Design

• The Importance of Theory

• Cross-Section Designs

Research Design


Design Problem• Foundation

Most important step to set the direction of your research

• Questions & Queries

List of questions targeted to extract the required information

• Choice of Questions

Poorly chosen questions can mislead the information

• Precision of Information

How effective and productive the results are towards required information

Research Design


Problem Structure• Exploratory ResearchThe problem is badly understood. The objective

or goal is unclear

• Descriptive ResearchThe objective or goal is clear and structured

• Casual ResearchBlend of both natures. Problems are structured

and also confronted with cause-and-effect problem

Research Design


Exploratory Research• The objective or goal is “unclear” or the

problem is “badly understood”

• Requires strong skills and deep observations

• The sale is dropping … why?

• What is the “primary” reason people spend money more on consumable items than long term investments?

Research Design


Descriptive Research• The objective or goal is “clear” and

“structured”

• Usually involves surveys &

comparisons

• Running an ice-cream business - Alaska or Miami?

Research Design


Casual Research• Mixture of both natures. Problems are

structured and also confronted with “cause-n-effect” problem

• Look for & isolate the “cause”

• Examine if cause has effect on result

• Does the advertising help in achieving greater market share?

• Is this medical drug effective?

Research Design


Problem of “cause”Research Design

• Variable affecting the increment or decrement behavior of other variable

• Concomitant covariation should exist between cause and effect

• Cause should proceed the effect

• Rule out alternative causes


Importance of TheoryResearch Design

• It is impossible to know what to look for without the theory

• Identifying research problems• Identifying relevant factors & their

relationship

• Raising questions

• Attitude of variables with each otherX > Y (X causes Y)Y < X (Y causes X)X <> Y (Mutual causation)X =! Y (no relationship)

• Interpreting observations


Classic ExperimentResearch Design

• Include multiple experiment groups

• Groups can be segmented for multiple variables

• Separate the segments into controlled and experimental groups

• Take observations treating both groups randomly with same experimental stimulus

• Interpret the result based on observations

• Notice the difference in observationsCompiled: Athar Hussain

Validity ThreatsResearch Design

• Types:• Internal validity – whether the results obtained within

the study are true.• External validity – whether the findings can be

generalized • Experimental design is to isolate and estimate

the effects of causes• The solid design allows manipulation of

treatment and proves the validity and authenticity of effects on cause

• Highlights covariation between variables

• Differentiates internal and external threats


Validity Threats (cont.)

Research Design• History

• Specific event external to the study that occurs at the same time

• Maturation • Processes which operate within the test units as

function of the passage of time

• Test Effect• Indicates the experiment itself may affect the observed

response

• Selection bias • Serious threat to validity when the subjects are not

assigned randomly


Other Research DesignsResearch Design

• There are sometimes constraints on researchers to conduct certain types of experiments

• Some of these constraints are:• Time interval in which to conduct the research• The effects of properties are too general or not

specific enough• Cannot find same type groups to perform

comparisons• The time order of events is often difficult

• Causing the research designs to move away from the “True” experiment and turning to other research designs


Other Research Designs (cont.)

Research Design

• Cross-sectional Designs

• Time Series

• The one-shot case study


RequirementsResearch Design

• User’s intentions

• Context

• Knowledge

• Skills

• Experience


… for Research Design

QuestionsQuestionsQuestionsQuestions

“Research is to see what everybodyelse has seen, and to think what

nobody else has thought”- Albert Szent-Gyorgyi


Research Design

Business

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