dr. raj agrawal

8/12/2019 Dr. Raj Agrawal

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Research Design andFormulation of problem



How to select research problem

Novel–one which has not been investigated before.- Inject originality in it by coming up with another

research design,

- Interesting-Relevant Will the results add knowledge to information already

available in the field?

• Is the topic too broad?

• Can the problem really be investigated? What costs and time are involved in the analysis? Researchable Can the data be analyzed? Ethical



Literature Review

Why

- Broaden Knowledge Base

- Ensuring originality in the conduct of one’sresearch;

- Clarity and focus

- Gaps : findings and conclusions of past

studies- Formulating the theoretical and conceptual

framework



How

Search for existing literature

Prepare a working bibliography

Write in index cards; group togetherreferences froma. booksb. journals and periodicals

c. unpublished material 3. Examine each material, then

decide which ones will actually beincluded in your review



WHAT TO INCLUDE

Review should be brief and to thepoint.

A plan to present the review

Emphasize relatedness

Don’t reproduce it



Research Design

The research design is the master plan specifying the methods and procedures forcollecting and analyzing the needed information.

Three traditional categories of research design: Exploratory Descriptive Causal

The overall research design for a project mayinclude one or more of these three designs as part's of it.

Further, if more than one design is to be used,typically we progress from Exploratory towardCausal.



Research Objective Appropriate Design

To gain background information, to define terms, to clarify Exploratory

problems and develop hypotheses, to establishresearch priorities, to develop questions to be

answered

To describe and measure phenomena at a point Descriptive

in time

To determine causality, test hypotheses, to make “if -then” Causal

statements, to answer questions

Basic Research Objectives and

Research Design



Research Design: ExploratoryResearch

Exploratory research is most commonly unstructured, “informal” research that is undertaken to gainbackground information about the general nature of theresearch problem.

Exploratory research is usually conducted when the

researcher does not know much about the problem andneeds additional information or desires new or morerecent information.

Undertaken with the aim of clarifying ambiguousproblems

General problems usually known but not sufficiently

understood The purpose is to get more information, not to uncover

specific courses of action (subsequent research)Example: Child-Care support programme for employees



Methods for Exploratory Research

A variety of methods are available toconduct exploratory research:

Secondary Data Analysis

Experience Surveys

Case Analysis

Focus Groups

Projective Techniques

h i i i



Research Design: DescriptiveResearch

Descriptive research is undertaken to provide answers toquestions of who, what, where, when, and how – but notwhy.

Some examples: What is the prevailing organizational culture in

broadcast networks?- Who are the main consumers of organic foods?- How many students read the prescribed course

literature?

Two basic classifications: Cross-sectional studies Longitudinal studies



Research Design: DescriptiveResearchCross-sectional Studies

Cross-sectional studies measure unitsfrom a sample of the population at onlyone point in time.

Sample surveys are cross-sectional studies whose samples are drawn in such a way as to be representative of a specific population.

On-line survey research is being usedto collect data for cross-sectional

surveys at a faster rate of speed .



Research Design: Descriptive ResearchLongitudinal Studies

Longitudinal studies repeatedly draw sample units of a population over time.

One method is to draw different units

from the same sampling frame. A second method is to use a “panel”

where the same people are asked torespond periodically.

On-line survey research firms recruit panel members to respond to onlinequeries.



Research Design: DescriptiveResearchLongitudinal Studies

Two types of panels:

Continuous panels ask panel members thesame questions on each panel

measurement. Discontinuous (Omnibus) panels vary

questions from one time to the next.

Longitudinal data used for:

Market tracking

Brand-switching

Attitude and image checks



Causal Research:

Undertaken with the aim of identifyingcause and effect relationships amongstvariables

Are normally preceeded by exploratory anddescriptive research studies

Often difficult to determine because of theinfluence of other variables (concommitant

Variation and the presence of other hiddenvariables) Example: Higher ice-cream consumption

causes more people to drown (indicative ofa causal relationship (?))



Causal Research

Types of variables: Independent variables – the cause

supposed to be responsible for thebringing about change in a phenomenon or

situation. Dependent variables – the outcome of

change brought about by change in theindependent variable

Intervening variable – a variable whoseexistence is inferred but cannot bemanipulated or controlled

Moderator variable – a variable that mayor may not be controlled but has an effect

on the research situation/phenomenon



Causal Research

For example:

Does a commitment to ethics among mediapractitioners depend on their educational or

professional training? Independent variable: educational attainment

of journalist.

Dependent variables: ethical behavior,

knowledge of Code of Ethics Intervening variable: newsroom policies

Moderator variables: civil status, age, years ofwork experience



Experimental Design

An experimental design is a procedurefor devising an experimental setting

such that a change in the dependent

variable may be solely attributed to achange in an independent variable.

Symbols of an experimental design:

O = measurement of a dependent variable

X = manipulation, or change, of anindependent variable

R = random assignment of subjects toexperimental and control groups

E = experimental effect



Stages in the Research Process

Define

Problem

Planning a

Research Design

Planning

a Sample

Gathering

the Data

Processing and

Analysing the Data

Conclusions

and Report



Flowcharting the Research Process(1)

Problem Discovery

Secondary (historical) data

Pilot Study

Experience Survey

Case Study

Problem Definition

(Statement of research objectives)

Selection of

exploratory

research technique

Selection of

basic research

method

Survey (Interview, Questionnaire)

Experiment (Laboratory, Field)

Secondary Data Study

Observation



Flowcharting the Research Process(2)

Survey (Interview, Questionnaire)

Experiment (Laboratory, Field)

Secondary Data Study

Observation

Sample Design

Probability

Sampling

Non-Probability

Sampling

Collection of Data (Fieldwork)

Editing and Coding Data

Data Processing and Analysis

Interpretation of Findings

Report

dr. raj agrawal

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