Research Design 2 Flashcards
Case study
Natural observation
Survey
Descriptive research design
Pre
True
Quasi
Experimental (causal) research design
Discover ideas and insights
Exploratory
• Flexible
• Versatile
• Often front end of total
research design
Exploratory
Methods:
• Expert surveys
• Pilot surveys
• Secondary data
• Qualitative research
Exploratory
Describe social characteristics or functions
Descriptive
Methods:
• Secondary data
• Surveys
• Panels
• Observational and
other data
Descriptive
• Marked by prior formulation of statistical hypothesis
• Preplanned and structured design
Descriptive
Determine cause and effect relationship
Causal
• Manipulation of one or more independent variable
• Control of other mediating variables
Causal
Method:
• Experiments
Causal
includes surveys and fact-finding enquiries of different kinds
Descriptive research
major purpose is description of the state of affairs as it exists at present
Descriptive research
main characteristic that no control over the variables; only report what has happened or what is happening
Descriptive research
to use facts or information already available, and analyse these to make a critical evaluation of the material
analytical research
aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem facing a society or an industrial/business organisation
Applied research
or action
mainly concerned with generalisations and with the formulation of a theory
Fundamental research
basic or pure
related to some abstract idea(s) or theory
Conceptual research
generally used by philosophers and thinkers to develop new concepts or to reinterpret existing ones
Conceptual research
relies on experience or observation alone, often without due regard for system and theory
Empirical research
data-based research, coming up with conclusions which are capable of being verified by observation or experiment
Empirical research
also termed as formulative research studies
Exploratory research
main purpose is that of formulating a problem for more precise investigation or of developing the working hypotheses from an operational point of view
Exploratory research
The major emphasis in such studies is on the discovery of ideas and insights
Exploratory research
three methods:
(a) the survey of concerning literature
(b) the experience survey
(c) the analysis of ‘insight-stimulating’ examples
Exploratory research
most simple and fruitful method of formulating precisely the research problem or developing hypothesis
survey of concerning literature
survey of people who have had practical experience with the problem to be studied
Experience survey
The object is to obtain insight into the relationships between variables and new ideas relating to the research problem
Experience survey
researcher must prepare an interview schedule for the systematic questioning of informants + interview must ensure flexibility in the sense that the respondents should be allowed to raise issues and questions which the investigator has not previously considered
Experience survey
a fruitful method for suggesting hypotheses for research
particularly suitable in areas where there is little experience to serve as a guide
Analysis of ‘insight-stimulating’ examples
consists of the intensive study of selected instances of the phenomenon in which one is interested
For this purpose the existing records, if any, may be examined, the unstructured interviewing may take place, or some other approach may be adopted
Analysis of ‘insight-stimulating’ examples
studies determine the frequency with which something occurs or its association with something else
Diagnostic research
researcher must be able to define clearly, what he wants to measure and must find adequate methods for measuring it along with a clear cut definition of ‘population’ he wants to study
design in such studies must be rigid and not flexible
DESCRIPTIVE
AND DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH STUDIES
Flexible design (design must provide opportunity for considering different aspects of the problem)
Explorative/ Formulative
Non-probability sampling design (purposive or judgement sampling)
Explorative/ Formulative
Statistical design:
No pre-planned design for analysis
Explorative/ Formulative
Observational design:
Unstructured instruments for collection of data
Explorative/ Formulative
Operational design:
No fixed decisions about the operational procedures
Explorative/ Formulative
Rigid design (design must make enough provision for protection against bias and must maximise reliability)
Descriptive/ Diagnostic
Probability sampling design (random sampling)
Descriptive/ Diagnostic
Statistical design:
Pre-planned design for analysis
Descriptive/ Diagnostic
Observational design:
Structured or well thought out data instruments for collection of data
Descriptive/ Diagnostic
Operational design:
Advanced decisions about operational procedures
Descriptive/ Diagnostic
those where the researcher tests the hypotheses of causal relationships between variables
Hypothesis-testing research studies (generally known as experimental studies)
Three principles of experimental designs
Principle of Replication
Principle of Randomization
Principle of Local Control
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 increased
Principle of Replication
provides protection, when we conduct an experiment, against the effect of extraneous factors by randomization
Principle of Randomization
plan the experiment in a manner that we can perform a two-way analysis of variance, in which the total variability of the data is divided into three components attributed to treatments, the extraneous factor and experimental errors
Principle of Local Control
Informal experimental designs
(i) Before-and-after without control design.
(ii) After-only with control design.
(iii) Before-and-after with control design.
Formal experimental designs
(i) Completely randomized design (C.R. Design).
(ii) Randomized block design (R.B. Design).
(iii) Latin square design (L.S. Design).
(iv) Factorial designs
