RESEARCH DESIGN

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Research is a planned activity, aimed at establishing new
facts and information about a particular phenomenon.

The research process involves the identification of a

particular problem or area of interest, translating that
problem into a research problem, collecting data,
analyzing the data and reporting the findings of the
research

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 PROCESS OF DESIGNING AND CONDUCTING A
RESEARCH PROJECT:

What--What was studied? 1. Introduction,

Research Problems/
What about--What aspects of Objectives, &
the subject were studied? Justification
What for--What is/was the
significance of the study?

What did prior lit./research say? 2. Literature Review

What was done--How was the 3. Methodology

study conducted? (Research sample, data
collection, measurement,
data analysis)
What was found? 4. Results & Discussion
So what? 5. Implications
What now? 6. Conclusions and
Recommendations for3
Purpose
A research design is to ensure that the evidence
obtained enables us to answer the initial question as
unambiguously as possible.
Research method vs design

RESEARCH DESIGN
Research design involves determining how your chosen
method will be applied to answer your research question. The
design of your study can be thought of as a blueprint
detailing what will be done and how this will be accomplished.

Strategic framework for action that serves as a bridge

between research questions and the execution or
implementation of the research strategy.

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RESEARCH METHOD
Research methods are generalized and established ways of
approaching research questions (e.g., qualitative vs.
quantitative methods). Not all methods can be applied to all
research questions, so the choice of method is limited by the
area of research that you wish to explore.

RELATIONSHIP
Choice of research methods and design should be thought of
as a reciprocal process extending well into your study. For
example, it may arise over the course of your study that
there is a flaw in the design

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 RESEARCH DESIGN
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 refers to the overall strategy that you choose

to integrate the different components of the study in a coherent
and logical way, thereby, ensuring you will effectively address
the research problem; it constitutes the blueprint for the
collection, measurement, and analysis of data.

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 RESEARCH DESIGN
RESEARCH DESIGN refers to the plan, structure, and strategy of research--
the blueprint that will guide the research process.
The design decision happen to be in respect of:
 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 be the sample design?
 What techniques of data collection will be used?
 How will the data be analysed?
 In what style will the report be prepared? 7
 RESEARCH DESIGN
RESEARCH DESIGN parts
a) The sampling design which deals with the method of selecting
items to be observed for the given study
b) The observational design which relates to the conditions
under the observations are to be made
c) The statistical design which concerns with the question of
how many items are to be observed and how the information
and data gathered are to be analysed; and
d) The operational design which deals with the techniques by
which procedures specified in the sampling, statistical and
observational designs can be carried out

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 RESEARCH DESIGN
RESEARCH DESIGN parts
a) The sampling design which deals with the method of selecting
items to be observed for the given study
b) The observational design which relates to the conditions
under which the observations are to be made
c) The statistical design which concerns with the question of
how many items are to be observed and how the information
and data gathered are to be analyzed; and
d) The operational design which deals with the techniques by
which procedures specified in the sampling, statistical and
observational designs can be carried out

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 RESEARCH DESIGN
RESEARCH DESIGN parts
a) The sampling design which deals with the method of selecting
items to be observed for the given study
b) The observational design which relates to the conditions
under the observations are to be made
c) The statistical design which concerns with the question of
how many items are to be observed and how the information
and data gathered are to be analysed; and
d) The operational design which deals with the techniques by
which procedures specified in the sampling, statistical and
observational designs can be carried out

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 RESEARCH DESIGN
IMPORTANT CONCEPTS RELATING TO RESEARCH DESIGN
1. Dependent and independent variables: (different quantitative
values is called variable)
dependent variable – depends upon or is a consequence of
the other variable
independent variable – antecedent to the dependent
variable

2. Extraneous variable: independent variables that are not

related to the purpose of the study, but may affect the dependent
variable are termed as extraneous variable

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 RESEARCH DESIGN
IMPORTANT CONCEPTS RELATING TO RESEARCH DESIGN
3. Control: design the study minimizing the effects of
extraneous variables

4. Confounded relationship: when the dependent variable is

not free from the influence of extraneous variable(s), the
relationship between the dependent and independent variables is
said to be confounded by extraneous variable(s)

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 RESEARCH DESIGN
IMPORTANT CONCEPTS RELATING TO RESEARCH DESIGN
5. Research Hypothesis: when prediction or a hypothesized
relationship is to be tested by scientific methods

6. Experimental and non-experimental hypothesis-testing

research: test research hypothesis
Experimental hypothesis-testing research
independent variable is manipulated

Non- experimental hypothesis-testing research

independent variable is not manipulated

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 RESEARCH DESIGN
IMPORTANT CONCEPTS RELATING TO RESEARCH DESIGN
7. Experimental and control groups:
control group in an experimental hypothesis-testing research
when a group is exposed to usual conditions
Experimental group when the group is exposed to some novel or
special condition

8. Treatments: different conditions under which experimental

and control groups are put

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 RESEARCH DESIGN
IMPORTANT CONCEPTS RELATING TO RESEARCH DESIGN
9. Experiment: the process of examining the truth of a statistical
hypothesis relating to some research problem

10. Experimental unit(s): the pre-determined plots or the blocks,

where different treatments are used

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 RESEARCH DESIGN
DIFFERENT RESEARCH DESIGNS
1. Research design in case of exploratory research studies:
formulative research studies – formulating a problem for more precise
investigation or of developing the working hypothesis from an
operational point of view.
The major emphasis in such studies is on the discovery of ideas
and insights

THREE METHODS
The survey concerning the literature
Experience survey
Analysis of ‘insight-stimulating’ examples

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 RESEARCH DESIGN
DIFFERENT RESEARCH DESIGNS
2. Research design in case of descriptive and diagnostic
research studies:

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 RESEARCH DESIGN
DIFFERENT RESEARCH DESIGNS
2. Research design in case of descriptive and diagnostic
research studies: concern with describing the characteristics of a
particular individual, or of a group, whereas diagnostic research
studies determine the frequency with which something occurs or
its association with something else.

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 RESEARCH DESIGN
DIFFERENT RESEARCH DESIGNS
3. Research design in case of hypothesis-testing research
studies: researcher tests the hypotheses of causal relationships
between variables.

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