Research Design
How to do a research project!
Research designs can be very simple:
Or…. quitecomplicated!
Or… something in between!
A good design willnot compensate forbad fundamentals!
Research Design
A formal written set ofspecifications
and procedures for
There are many ways to set up aResearch Design
So we will look at ageneric plan.
Research Design
A formal written set ofspecifications
and procedures forConducting
and Controlling
a business research project
DESIGN controls for:
Time
DESIGN controls for:
Time
Money
DESIGN controls for:
Time
Money
People
A good DESIGN ensures:
1.The study will be relevant2.That is will use economic procedures
Problem:
The Law of the Instrument
Types of Designs
1.Exploratory Research to gain insight and ideas…
It is for understanding… not for analysis
Types of Designs
1.Exploratory Flexible… good for:a.Diagnosing a situationb.Screening alternativesc. Increase research’s familiarity with problemd.Discovery of new ideas
Types of Designs
Be careful:
Gas lights:
Types of Designs
Be careful:
IBM study in 1947:
“On a humorous note, the principal designer of the Mark I, Howard Aiken of Harvard, estimated in 1947 that six electronic digital computers would be sufficient to satisfy the computing needs of the entire United States. IBM had commissioned this study to determine whether it should bother developing this new invention into one of its standard products (up until then computers were one-of-a-kind items built by special arrangement). Aiken's prediction wasn't actually so bad as there were very few institutions (principally, the government and military) that could afford the cost of what was called a computer in 1947.
Types of Designs
1.Exploratory Flexible… good for:a.Diagnosing a situationb.Screening alternativesc. Increase research’s familiarity with problemd.Discovery of new idease.Gathering background info
Types of Designs
1.Exploratory Methods:a.Situational analysis
Type of Designs
1.Exploratory Methods:a.Situational analysisb.Expert Opinion survey
Types of Designs
1.Exploratory Methods:a.Situational analysisb.Expert opinion surveyc. Literature searchd.Pilot studye.Focus groups
Types of Designs
1.Exploratory2.Descriptive
a. To describe characteristics of a sample
Type of Designs
1.Exploratory2.Descriptive
a. To describe characteristics of a sample b. To estimate proportions
Type of Designs
1.Exploratory2.Descriptive
Cross-Sectional
Types of Designs
1.Exploratory2.Descriptive
Longitudinal
http://www.people-press.org/2013/01/31/trust-in-government-interactive/
Types of Designs
1.Exploratory2.Descriptive
Longitudinal Omnibus
Types of Designs
1.Exploratory2.Descriptive
Longitudinal Panels
Types of Designs
1.Exploratory2.Descriptive
Longitudinal Panels
Problems:Lack of representationThey become experts
Type of Designs
1.Exploratory2.Descriptive3.Associational
What goes with what?
S&P 500
Types of Designs
1.Exploratory2.Descriptive3.Associational 4.Casual (Experiments)
Types of Designs
Casual (Experiments)
Concept of Causality
• Concomitant variation• Time order (casual order)• Elimination of alternative explanations
Types of Designs
Casual (Experiments)
Key is:
Control
Types of Designs
Casual (Experiments)Terms:
Types of Designs
Casual (Experiments)Terms:
Variable
Types of Designs
Casual (Experiments)Terms:
Constant
Types of Designs
Casual (Experiments)Terms:
IV
Independent Variable: treatment exogenous
Types of Designs
Casual (Experiments)Terms:
DV
Dependent Variable: measurement endogenous
Types of Designs
Casual (Experiments)Terms:
Secondary Variables
Something to be controlled thatcould cause the DV to change… Extraneous
Types of Designs
Casual (Experiments)Terms:
Secondary Variables
• Eliminate them• Make them constant• Turn them into IVs• Randomization• Statistical control
Types of Designs
Casual (Experiments)Terms:Field Experiment
Split-plot
Types of Designs
Casual (Experiments)Terms:Laboratory Experiment
Validity Issues
Validity Issues
Internal Validity
The effect is due to IVand
Not to other variables
Validity Issues
External Validity
The effect can be generalized
To the real world
Validity IssuesInternal Validity1. History (Retroactive)2. Proactive History3. Maturation4. Testing Effects
Pre-testing… Post-testing… Interactive effects Reactive measures
Validity IssuesInternal Validity1. History (Retroactive)2. Proactive History3. Maturation4. Testing Effects5. Experimental Mortality
Validity IssuesInternal Validity1. History (Retroactive)2. Proactive History3. Maturation4. Testing Effects5. Experimental Mortality6. Bias
Selection… Interpretation… Etc.
Validity IssuesInternal Validity1. History (Retroactive)2. Proactive History3. Maturation4. Testing Effects5. Experimental Mortality6. Bias7. Statistical Regression
A highly unlikely event is… highly unlikely!
Genetics
Is this statistical regression… or something else?
Validity IssuesInternal Validity1. History (Retroactive)2. Proactive History3. Maturation4. Testing Effects5. Experimental Mortality6. Bias7. Statistical Regression8. Instrumentation9. Luck
Validity IssuesExternal Validity1. Hawthorne Effect
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne_effect
Validity IssuesExternal Validity1. Hawthorne Effect 2. Demand Effects
http://allpsych.com/researchmethods/experimentalvalidity.html
Validity IssuesExternal Validity1. Hawthorne Effect 2. Demand Effects
Validity IssuesExternal Validity1. Hawthorne Effect 2. Demand Effects3. Selection Bias
Why?
Why? Rasmussen used “likely voters
Top Related