Seminar on

Arun Joseph. S MPhil. Dept of Library & Information Science. University of Kerala.

RESEARCH DESIGN

&TYPES

INTRODUCTION

The research design is the conceptual structure within which research is conducted ; it constitutes the blue print for the collection , measurement and analysis of data.

• The research design provides the back bone structure of the study, it supports the study and hold it's together. • The research design refers to the

researcher overall plan for answering the research question or testing the research hypotheses.

PROCESS OF DESIGNING & CONDUCTING A RESEARCH PROJECT–What--What was studied?–What about--What aspects of the subject were studied? –What for--What is/was the significance of the study?–What did prior lit./research say?–What was done--How was the study conducted?–What was found?–So what?–What now?

Hence Research Design is: • a framework for the research

plan of action. • a master plan that specifies

the methods and procedures for collecting and analyzing the needed information

• a strategy for how the data will be collected.

Definitions

The Planned sequence of the entire process involved in conducting a research study .

- Miller

“A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collected and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with economy in procedure.”

- Johoda, Deutsch, & Cook

“The plan, structure, and strategy of investigation conceived so as to obtain answers to research questions and control variance.”

- General Def

Purposes of Research Design It provides the scheme for

answering research question. It maintains control to avoid bias

that may affect the outcomes. It organize the study in a certain

way defending the advantages of doing while being aware and caution about potential disadvantages .

Developing ResearchHypotheses

Intriguing Observation,Intellectual Curiosity

Defining ResearchProblem & Objectives

Testing Hypo.:Data Analysis &Interpretation

Sampling Design

Refinement of theory(Inductive Reasoning)

Data Coding,And

Editing

Developing OperationalDefinitions for

Research Variables

Building the Theoretical Framework and the

Research Model

Data Collection

More Careful Studyingof the Phenomenon

THE PROCESS OF

EMPIRICAL RESEARCH

Characteristics

1) Objectivity2) Reliability3) Validity4) Generalisation

1. Objectivity

Judged by the degree of agreement between the final scores assigned to different individuals by

more than one independent observer.

2. Reliability

o Refers to consistency throughout a series of measurements.o Some of the methods to

determining reliability are using ‘check items’, administering the same test repeatedly; using a series of ‘parallel’ forms, etc.

3. Validity

Any measuring instrument is said to be valid when it measures

what it purports to measure.

4. Generalization

The data collected from a sample can be utilized for

drawing certain generalisations, applicable to a larger group from which the

sample is drawn.

Advantages

Lead to more accurate results.

Give optimum efficiency and reliability.

• Minimise the wastage of time as well as money.• Instills confidence in the research.•Provides satisfaction & success.

Components

Title of the studyStatement of the

problemReview of literatureArea & Scope of StudyObjectives of the study

Formulation of hypothesis

Definition of conceptsMethodologySampling designConstructing the

schedule/Questionnaire

Collection of dataAnalysis of dataInterpretation of

resultsReporting the

findingsTime & Financial

budgeting

Different Research DesignsExploratory type research

designDescriptive type research

designDiagnostic type research designExperimental type research

design

1) Exploratory type Research Design Explorative research studies are

also termed as formulative research studies.

Exploratory study is a systematic scientific approach which enables a social scientist to determine whether an idea is in reality or not.

Explorative studies can provide ideas , hypothesis , suggestions that might never occur to the social scientist sitting in an office and mediating over the problem.

More flexible. Done in the field whether there

is little knowledge is available.

The exploratory method , according to Katz , “ represents the earlier stage of science “.

This significant observation implies that all sciences must have at the beginning had an approach which has purely exploratory.

Inorder to attain research objectives the exploratory method , as suggested by Selltiz et.al . , should adopt the following steps :

Review of related social science and another pertinent literature , one of the simplest ways of economizing effort in an enquiry , is to review the work already alone by others .

Survey of people who had partial experience with the problem to be studied : persons by virtue of the nature of their jobs are in a position to throw light on the subject matter of interest of the investigator.

• The analysis of insight stimulating examples : social scientists working in an area which is yet to be explored , which incidentally is the usual experience of an innovative social scientist , have found the intensive study of the selected samples to be particularly fruitful method of stimulating insight.

Katz has conceptualized exploratory studies at two levels ;

The first is the discovery of the significant variable in the situation.

The second is the discovery of relationship between variables.

It is imperative for the investigator to delimit the area to be studied specially at the first level.

Exploratory studies which do not sets limits for themselves have limits imposed by various practical matters.

Mostly the results obtained through the explorative study are to be treated as a sign post for future and further study in the same or similar direction.

For this reason , they are also known as formulative studies.

WHEN EXPLORATIVE RESEARCH ?

Eff ect iveness

A d v a n t a g e It’s ability to generate many ideas that could be further explored in more controlled conditions , apart from overcoming the most difficult portion of enquiry , which is it’s initiation.

2) Descriptive type Research Design

Rigid Design. Probability sampling design. Pre-planned design for analysis. Structured instruments for

collection of data. Advanced decisions about

operational procedure.

Research design in which the major emphasis is on determining the frequency with which something occurs or the extent to which two variables co vary.

Enable researcher to describe picture of a phenomenon under investigation.

Methodology involved – qualitative in nature producing descriptive data.

Three approaches to enable to record/analyse the bahavioural patterns:

i. Participant observation.ii. Personal documents.

iii. Unstructured interviewing.

3) Diagnostic type Research Design

Rigid Design. Probability sampling design. Pre-planned design for analysis. Structured instruments for

collection of data. Advanced decisions about

operational procedure.

Diagnosis corresponds to the fact finding aspect of clinical practice.

Represents the most typical and simple problem solving strategy of the helper faced with problems and crises

on the job.

Consists of the emergence of a problem, a diagnosis of its causes, formulation of all the avenues of remediation, and recommendations for a possible solution.

Data for diagnosis can be obtained in four major ways:

a. Case history or Interviewb. Clinical observationc. Informal testingd. Formal standardized

testing

4) Experimental type Research Design

• Professor R.A.Fisher’s name is associated with experimental designs.

• It’s origin in agricultural research was made by him when he was working in

Rothamsted Experimental Station (Centre for Agricultural Research in England).

Experiment is a study in which the investigator manipulates or varies (called the independent variables) &

measures other variables (called the

dependent variables).

When an experiment is possible it is the most effective method of testing a hypothesis.

i.e; one variable ‘X’ casually influences another variable ‘Y’

There are three basic principles

of experimental designs :

1. The principle of replication

2. The principle of randomisation

3. The principle of local control

1. The principle of replication

According to this , the experiment should be repeated more than once.

Thus, each treatment is applied in many experimental units instead of one.

By doing so, the statistical accuracy of the experiments is incresed.

2. The principle of randomisation

This provides protection against the effects of extraneous factors by randomisation.

We may apply randomisation principle and protect ourselves

against the effects of the extraneous factors.

3. The principle of local control

According to this principle, we first divide the field into several homogeneous parts, known as blocks, and then each such block is divided into part equal

to the number of treatments.

References

• Hasouneh , Abdel Baset I .(2003) . Research Methodology . Jaipur : Sublime publications, 33-42

• Devarajan, G.(2011). Prolegomena to Research Methodology. New Delhi: Ess Ess publications, 107-108.

• Kothari, C.R. (2004). Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. New Delhi: New Age International (p) limited, 31-52.

• Sharma , BAV .(1984).Research methods in social sciences . New Delhi : Sterling publishers, 68-82.

• Sharma , BAV .(1984).Research methods in social sciences . New Delhi : Sterling publishers, 90-112.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploratory_research