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RESEARCH PROCESSRESEARCH DESIGN


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RESEARCH

The systematic investigation

into and study of materialand sources in order toestablish new facts and

reach new conclusion

(Oxford Dictionary)


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The steps in the research process are,identification and definition of the problem or

opportunity, planning the research design, selectinga research method, selecting a sampling procedure,

data collection, evaluating the data and finallypreparing and presenting the research report.

Steps in the researchSteps in the research

processprocess


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Steps in the Research Process

Identifying and Defining Problem/ Opportunity

Planning the Research Design

Selecting a Research Method

Selecting a Sampling Procedure

Data CollectionEvaluating the Data

Preparing and Presenting the Research Report


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Overview of ResearchOverview of ResearchDesignsDesigns


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Research Design

A master plan that

specifies the methodsand procedures forcollecting and analyzing

needed information.


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Define the Information Needed

Design the Exploratory, Descriptive, andExplanatory Research

Specify the Measurement and ScalingProcedures

Construct a Questionnaire

Specify the Sampling Process and theSample Size

Develop a Plan of Data Analysis

Tasks Involved In a Research Design

Lets

have adetailed

look


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A Classification of Research Designs

Research

Design

Exploratory

Research

Explanatory

Research

Secondary

Data

Experience

Surveys

Pilot

Studies

Case

Studies

See next slide

Descriptive

Research


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A Classification of Research Designs

ResearchDesign

ExploratoryResearch

ExplanatoryResearchDescriptiveResearch

Cross-Sectional

StudyLongitudinal

Study

Secondary dataStudy

Survey Observation

Experiments


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Exploratory Research

Usually conducted during the initial stageof the research process

Purposes To narrow the scope of the research topic,

and

To transform ambiguous problems into well-defined ones


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Exploratory Research Techniques

Secondary Data Analysis

Secondary data are data previously collected &assembled for some project other than the oneat hand

Pilot Studies

A collective term for any small-scale exploratoryresearch technique that uses sampling but doesnot apply rigorous standards

Unstructured, free-flowing interview with asmall group of people


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Case Studies Intensively investigate one or a few

situations similar to the problemsituation

Experience Surveys Individuals who have knowledge about

a particular research problem arequestioned

Exploratory Research Techniques


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Descriptive Research

A researcher starts Descriptive research, when he may have amore

Highly developed idea about a Social Phenomenon

Want to describeDescriptive research presents a picture of the specific detail ofa situation

SituationSocial Setting

RelationshipIt Examines who, what, when, where and how


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Common Characteristics ofDescriptive Studies

Build on previous information

Show relationships between variables Representative samples required

Structured research plans

Require substantial resources Conclusive findings


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When you encounter an issue that is already knownand have a description of it, you might began towonder why things are the way they are

The desire to know WHY to explain is thepurpose of explanatory research.

For Example, a descriptive researcher may discover that

10 percent of parents abuse their children, whereas theexplanatory researcher is more interested in learningWHY PARENTS ABUSE THEIR CHILDREN

Explanatory Research


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Exploratory ResearchSecondary Data

Analysis

Focus Groups

Conclusive ResearchDescriptive and

Explanatory

Conclusive ResearchDescriptive and

Explanatory

Exploratory

ResearchSecondary Data

Analysis

Focus Groups


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Comparison of Research DesignsExploratory Descriptive Causal

Purpose ID problems, gain

insights

Describe things Determine cause-

and-effect

relationships

Assumedbackground

knowledge

Minimal Considerable Considerable

Degree of

structureVery little High High

Flexibility High Some Little

Sample Non-representative Representative Representative

Research

environmentRelaxed Formal Highly controlled

Cost Low Medium High

Findings Preliminary Conclusive Conclusive


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Exploratory

Research

Descriptive

Research

Explanatory

Research


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Choose a Topic

Personal Experience

Personal Curiosity

The State of Knowledge in a field

Personal Values

R fi T i i t


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Refine a Topic intoResearch Question

Refine and narrow down a topic sufficiently into a problemof Question

Although the problem is identified in a broader

perspective, it needs to be defined specifically in terms ofwhat is to be researched. It is important to define theproblem in a precise manner. A well defined problem givesthe researcher a proper direction for carrying outinvestigation. It also helps in utilizing the resources

provided for the research effectively.


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A researcher can focus his efforts on collectingrelevant information, if the problem is defined properly.

Some research problems such as conducting a survey onthe newspaper reading habits of a given sample of thepopulation can be clearly defined.

But if a company wants to define a research problemsuch as declining sales, it needs to define the researchproblem further through exploratory research.

Refine a Topic into

Research Question


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Preparing the Statement ofResearch Objectives

Formal research statement.As precise as possible.Objectives act as guidelines for various steps inthe research process.

The objectives of the research must be brief andspecific.

Once the objectives and research questions

are identified, a researcher has to develop ahypothesis statement that reflects theseresearch objectives.


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Developing the hypothesis

A hypothesis is a statement based on somepresumptions about the existence of arelationship between two or more variables

that can be tested through empirical data. When a researcher is developing a hypothesis,

he/she will try to assume an answer for aparticular research question and then test it

for its validity.

contd..


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A hypothesis normally makes the research questionclearer to the researcher. The formulation of ahypothesis allows the researcher to make apresumption or guess and can thus ensure that all

the relevant aspects of the research are includedin the research design.Example why are the sales of refrigerators are going up in

winter? In this case the hypothesis could bethe sales of refrigerators are going up during winter

due to off-season discounts. This makes theresearch question much clearer.

Developing the hypothesis


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Planning the research design is a crucial step inthe research design process. A research design

is the actual frame work of research thatprovides specific details regarding the processto be followed in conducting the research.

The research is designed based on the

objectives formulated during the initial phasesof the research.


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The research design includes all the detailsregarding the research such as

Where the information should be obtainedfrom The time and budget allotted for conducting

the research

Select the appropriate measurementtechniques Sampling process.



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Selecting the Research Method

After developing an appropriate researchplan, it is important for the researcher toselect a proper research method.

There are four basic methods of conducting aresearch study.

Secondary data studies

SurveysExperimentsObservation


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Surveys

Preparing the questionnaire.

Collecting the data through telephone.

Gathering the data from internet. Collecting the data through the personal

interview method.

Using the mailed questionnaire method Advantages and disadvantages


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Experiments

Conducted for studying cause-and-effect relationships.

Analyzing the sales targets achieved by

individual salespersons by manipulating theirmonetary rewards is a typical example ofexperimentation.

Example . Test marketing conducted by companies to

test the viability of their new product in themarket is a form of business experimentation.


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Secondary Data Studies

Concerned with the analysis of already existing data thatis related to the research topic in question.

Analyze the future sales of a product.For instance, for the cell phone wave protectorresearch, secondary data regarding thetelecommunications setup, mobile networking, thewaves used for communication for communication inwireless telephony and its effects, may be essentialfor assessing the future sales trends of the cellphone wave protector.


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Observation Techniques

Respondents are observed without anyinterruption by the observers

The advantage of this method is that theobservers do not depend on the respondents fortheir responses as they are only observed and arenot asked to participate in the research process.

Although the observation technique is useful, itcannot be used for studying several other factorssuch as motivation, attitudes and so on.

Selecting the Sampling


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Selecting the SamplingProcedure

Once the researcher selects the research method thatis most appropriate for the research, he needs todevelop a sampling procedure.

Sampling is a process that uses a small number of itemsor a small portion of a population to draw conclusionsregarding the whole population.

A sample can be considered as a a subset of a larger setcalled the population.

A well defined sample has the same characteristics asthe whole population.

Selecting the Sampling


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When the research is conducted on such a sample theresults obtained will represent the characteristics ofthe whole population.

Another important aspect of sampling is to decide onthe size of the sample.

The bigger the sample size the greater will be itsprecision.

But for practical reasons, it is not feasible to selectlarge samples.

A sample can be selected in two ways from a population.through probability sampling(or)

through non-probability sampling

Selecting the SamplingProcedure

Probability Sampling


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When the subsets of a population are chosen in such away that it ensures a representative cross section bygiving every element in the population a known chance

of being selected, it is calledprobability sampling.

When subsets of a population in which little or noattempt is made to ensure a representative cross

section are chosen, it is callednon probability

sampling.

Once a researcher decides on a sample, he needs toobtain data from this sample.

Probability Sampling& Non Probability Sampling.


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Data Collection

The researcher collects the data from theunits in this sample. As there are severalresearch techniques, there are a number of

data collection methods as well. In the survey method the data is collected by

asking the respondents to fill out a

questionnaire administered to them. In the observation technique the respondentsare just observed without their directparticipation in the research.

D t ll ti d i


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Data collection done inTwo stages

Pre-testing Main study

Pre-testinginvolves collecting the data from a

small sub sampleTest whether the data collection plan for the mainstudy is appropriate.This help the researchers to minimize any

potential errors that may crop up during the mainstudy.If the results of a pre-test are not appropriatefor decision making, then the researcher mayconsider altering the research design.


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Evaluating the data

The most important aspect of data evaluation is toconvert the data collected into a format which willfacilitate the Readers in effective decision making.The reason for analyzing the data is to obtain

research results and to prepare the research report.Evaluation of data normally starts with editing andcoding the dataEditing is undertaken to verify the data and checkfor any potential errors or for any inconsistencies

and so on.Another task of editing is to remove any errors thatmay have cropped up during the interview such asrecording the answers under the wrong columns of aquestionnaire and so on.

D t A l iD t A l i


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The interpretation of the data that has beencollected by using different analytical

techniques according to the requirements of

the Study is called analysis.

Several statistical tools are used for dataanalysis, in order to make the analysis suitable

for effective decision making.

Data AnalysisData Analysis

P i d P ti th


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Preparing and Presenting theResearch report

The last and major phase that comes into pictureis the preparation of a research report. Theresearch reports can be presented either in

Oral Format.Written Format.

Brief description of the objectives of theresearch

Summary of the research design adopted.Summary of the major findingsConclude with the limitations andrecommendations.


P i d P ti th


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Information that can aid in efficientdecision making.

Carefully analyze the informationobtained and present it according to therequirements of the study.Research report should be developed

most efficiently and it should portray theresearch findings most effectively.


P i d P s ti th


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Researchers fill the research reports with allthe technical values.

The amount of information provided in theresearch report should be based on therequirements of the Study.

A research report also acts as a historical

document, in the sense that the researchersmay refer to this document in the future if aresearch on the same lines is being conductedsometime in the future.



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