HOC 5 : RESEARCH DESIGN

Question 1

research design is about choosing :

Answer 1

• quantitative or qualitative study
• exploratory , descriptive or casual study
• research method(s) , primary and or secondary data
• unit of analysis
• time horizon

Question 2

quantitative studies are about

Answer 2

‘amount’ -> numbers , figures

Question 3

qualitative studies are about

Answer 3

‘character’ -> words , sentences , narrative

Question 4

what is an exploratory study

Answer 4

is a study that doesn’t have a clear idea -> it is a new area of study ( not a new way of understanding something already studied)
* An exploratory study is a preliminary research investigation designed to gather insights, generate hypotheses, and provide a foundational understanding of a topic or phenomenon, often with an open-ended and flexible research approach. ( not ppt definition)

Question 5

what are the characteristics of an exploratory study

Answer 5

clear idea is lacking
new area of study
to define new concepts or clarify existing concepts

Question 6

what is a descriptive study

Answer 6

to obtain data that described the topic of interest

Question 7

what are the characteristics of a descriptive study

Answer 7

clearly states research questions
offers ideas for further research
correlational studies on relationship between variables

Question 8

what are casual studies

Answer 8

to test wether or not a variables ( s) cause(s) another variable

Question 9

what is primary data and give examples

Answer 9

-> gather first hand for researcher’s purpose of study
- for example :
interviews
surveys
observation
experiments

Question 10

what is secondary data and give examples

Answer 10

-> gathered through existing sources -> created by others for other purposes
- example :
reports , databases
company & institutional websites
internt
books
media outlet

Question 11

what are cross-sectional studies

Answer 11

-> data are gathered at one point in time -> ex. one-shot survey of customer satisfaction since launch of new product
* are observational research designs that collect data from a population at a single point in time, allowing for the analysis of relationships and characteristics within the population at that specific moment.

Question 12

what are longitudinal studies

Answer 12

-> are repeated across a period of time ( = time series ) -> example : poverty rate in Belgium from 2010 - 2020
* follow subjects over an extended period, allowing for the examination of changes and developments in variables over time.

Question 13

what does a unit of analysis describe

Answer 13

which objects are to be studied
+
the level of aggregation of the data collected -> derived from the research questions
-> refers to the specific entity or level of observation that is the focus of a research study, such as individuals, groups, or events, countries etc…