Research Design
When particular research area has been defined, research problem is defined, and the related
literature in the area has been reviewed, the next step is to construct the research design. It is
fundamental to the success of any scientific research. Research design means an overall
framework or plan for the activities to be undertaken during the course of a research study. It
involves decisions regarding what, where, when, how much and by what means concerning a
research study. It constitutes a blue print/plan for the collection, measurement and analysis of
data. It serves as a framework for the study, guiding the collection and analysis of data, research
instrument to be utilized and the sampling plan to be followed.
According to Kerlinger: Research design is the plan, structure and strategy of investigation
conceived so as to obtain answers to research questions and to control variance.
According to Kinner and Taylor: A research design is the basic plan which guides the data
collection and analysis phase of the research project. It is the framework which specifies the type
of information to be collected, the source of data and the data collection procedure.
Elements of Research Design
(i) Problem:
A problem is an interrogative sentence or statement that asks what relation exists between
two or more variables. The answer is what is being bought in the research. Research design is
based on the research problem.
(ii) Methodology:
It deals with a choice of research design methods of measurement and types of analysis. All
of these must be congruent. They must fit together. Methodology should be appropriate to the
research problem.
(iii) Data Gathering:
To implement general plan of research, methods of data collection must be used. There is
always mutual inter plan of the problem and method. Problems dictate methods to a
considerable extent. It can use internal or external sources. The tools can be questionnaire,
observation, interview, etc.
1
(iv)Report Writing:
It involves preparation and presentation of the research report. A report is a presentation of
the research findings directed to a specific audience to accomplish specific objective.
Purposes of Research Design:
To Provide Answer to Research Question:
Research design is invented to enable the researcher to answer research questions as,
objective, accurately and economically as possible.
To Control Variance:
It enables the investigator to gather and analyze his data in certain ways, it is a control
mechanism.
Types of Research Design
1) Descriptive Research Design:
Descriptive research design is designed to describe something. It simply portrays an accurate
profile of organizations, events, situation or any phenomena. It describes conditions or
relationship that exists, opinion that are held, process that are going on, effects that are
evidence or trends that are developing. It is the fact finding operation design to search for
information. Investigators collect, classify and correlate data to describe that exists. But it
does not answer why phenomena behave as they do. Descriptive research is appropriate in
the following conditions:
o Portraying the characteristics of social or any phenomena and determining the
frequency of occurrence.
o Determining the degree of to which variables are associated.
Purposes Of Descriptive Research
o To collect detailed factual information that describes existing phenomena.
o To identify problems or justify current conditions and practice.
o To make comparisons and evaluations.
o To determine what others are doing with similar problems or situations and benefit
from their experience in making future plans and decisions.
2
2) Exploratory Research Design
It is designed to explore ideas and insights in order to obtain a proper definition of problems
at hand. It is appropriate for the early stage of decision making process. It is designed to
obtain a preliminary investigation of the situation with a minimum expenditure of time and
cost.
Purpose of Exploratory Research
o To identify problems and opportunities.
o To develop a more precise formulation of a vaguely identified problems or
opportunity.
o To gain perspective regarding the breadth of variables operating in a situations.
o To establish priorities regarding the potential significance of various problems or
opportunities
o To identify and formulate alternative courses of action.
o To gather information on the problems associated with doing conclusive research.
o To gain management and researchers perspective regarding the character of the
problem situation.
3) Experimental Research Design:
It describes what will be when certain variables are carefully controlled or manipulated. The
focus is on variable relationship. The purpose of experimental research is to investigate
possible cause-and –effect relationship as well as to understand the nature of functional
relationship between caused factors and affect to be predicted. An experimental design
involves the specifications of:
o Treatments that are to be manipulated.
o Test units to be used.
o Dependent variables to be measured.
o Procedures for dealing with extraneous variables.