This document provides an overview of research design topics including definitions, types of research design, and key concepts. It defines research design as a comprehensive plan or blueprint for conducting a research study. The main types of research design discussed are exploratory, causal, descriptive, and experimental. Exploratory research is aimed at formulating problems or hypotheses, while causal research seeks to determine cause-and-effect relationships. Descriptive research observes associations between variables, and experimental research tests hypotheses through manipulation of the independent variable. Key concepts explained include variables, hypotheses, experimental and control groups, and validity. The document also outlines the stages of developing a research design and merits of having a well-planned design.

1. BCM5B08- BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS
MODULE 2
V SEMESTER B. COM
UNIVERSITY OF CALICUT
Prepared By:
Ms. Leena K P
Don Bosco College, Mannuthy

2. MODULE 2
Research Design – Definition – Types of research design –
Exploratory and causal research design – Descriptive and
experimental design – Types of experimental design – Validity
of findings – Internal and external validity – Variables in
research – Measurement and scaling – Different scales –
Construction of instrument – Validity and reliability of
instrument

3. RESEARCH
DESIGN
Plan of action before study
Comprehensive plan of the series of operations
that a researcher intends to carry out to
accomplish the research objectives
Decisions regarding what, where, when, how
much, by what means concerning an inquiry or
a research study constitute a research design
A master plan that specifies the methods and
procedures for collecting and analyzing the
needed information.

4. DEFINITIONS
• “A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis of
data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with
economy in procedure.” - Claire Selltiz
• " The research design constitutes the blue print for the collection, measurement
and analysis of data. It aids the scientist in the allocation of his limited resources
by posing crucial choices." - Bernard S. Philips
• Designed research is the planned sequence of the entire process involved in
conducting a research design." - Miller

5. DECISIONS ON ?
(i) What is the study about?
(ii) Why is the study being made?
(iii) Where will the study be carried out?
(iv) What type of data is required?
(v) Where can the required data be found?
(vi) What periods of time will the study include?
(vii) What will be the sample design?
(viii) What techniques of data collection will be used?
(ix) How will the data be analysed?
(x) In what style will the report be prepared?

6. DIVISION OF
RESEARCH
DESIGN INTO
"4" PARTS
(a) the sampling design which deals with the
method of selecting items to be observed for the
given study;
(b) the observational design which relates to the
conditions under which the observations are to be
made;
(c) the statistical design which concerns with the
question of how many items are to be observed and
how the information and data gathered are to be
analysed; and
(d) the operational design which deals with the
techniques by which the procedures specified in the
sampling, statistical and observational designs can
be carried out.

7. "BEST" RESEARCH DESIGN
Several "alternatives" that can
accomplish the stated research objectives
The ability to select the
most appropriate research
design develops with
experience.
Case : Chicago’s Museum of
Science and Industry

8. NEED OF RESEARCH DESIGN
Research design is needed because it facilitates the smooth sailing of the various research
operations, thereby making research as efficient as possible yielding maximal information with
minimal expenditure of effort, time and money.
Ex: Blueprint for economical and attractive construction of a house
Research design stands for advance planning of the methods to be adopted for collecting the
relevant data and the techniques to be used in their analysis, keeping in view the objective of the
research and the availability of staff, time and money.
The design helps the researcher to organize his ideas in a form whereby it will be possible for him
to look for flaws and inadequacies - can even be given to others for their comments and critical
evaluation.

9. FEATURES OF RESEARCH DESIGN
Plan – sources and
types of information,
activity at each stage –
initial, data collection
etc.
Approach – data
gathering and analysis
Time and cost based
plan – major limitations
Based on research
question, purpose
Relationship among
various variables
Type of statistical tools
Boundaries of the study
– to better channel
energies to the right
work

10. ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS
1. Dependent and independent variables
2. Extraneous variable
3. Control
4. Confounded relationship
5. Research hypothesis
6. Experimental and non-experimental hypothesis-testing research
7. Experimental and control groups
8. Treatments
9. Experiment
10. Experimental unit(s)

11. • Dependent Variable
Depends on other factors Ex: Test score. Factors – how much you studied, sleep, hunger
• Independent Variable
It stands alone. Can’t be changed by other variables. Ex:Age[Not dependent on eating habits, exercise
etc.]
• Extraneous Variable
Could effect the dependent variable, but not explicitly included in the experiment
Ex: Activity level ------------ Weight gain
(Independent) (Dependent)
Age
(Confounding/Extraneous)
Types: Experimenter or investigator effects, Participant variables(prior knowledge , health etc.),
Situational variables(noise, temperature etc.)
• Control – Reduce the effect of extraneous variable
- should be controlled
- 1. Randomisation 2.Matching 3.Experimental design 4.Statistical control

12. • Confounded relationship- Influence of extraneous variable
• Research hypothesis – When the purpose of research is to test a hypothesis
• Experimental & Control groups
Experimental group - Independent variable is manipulated
Ex: Effectiveness of bridge course. Students – 60. Compare test scores of X &
Y
30--->X--->Control 30 -Y-Experimental(exposed to some special
condition)
• Treatments – Different conditions
• Experiment- Procedure carried out to support/refute/validate a hypothesis
• Experimental unit

13. STAGES OF RESEARCH DESIGN
1.Selection of a problem  Arise from minds of researcher. Business
– from managers. Researcher Business problem into research
problem. Sources of research idea- experience, guess, written
material, personal conversation, day to day experience etc.
Research problem determines research design. Pilot study
precedes problem selection -- ensures practicability
2.Identifying the research gap  Topic or area with missing or
insufficient information which limits the ability to reach a conclusion
for the question. Review of existing literature -get insight. Enables
to formulate plan - future investigation. Prioritise gaps
3.Sources Documentary, personal, Library
4.Nature of study Statistical/Comparative/Experiment/Combination

14. 5.Setting objectives of study and hypothesis concise description of
what the researcher is trying to achieve
6.Geographical area to be covered
7.Socio-cultural context – If human beings are involved
8.Identifying the variables
9.Period of study
10.Dimension of study – No. of cases
11.Sample selection
12.Technique of study- Schedule/questionnaire/Interview etc.
13.Control of error- possible in experimental studies(laboratory)

15. MERITS OF
RESEARCH
DESIGN
Saves time, money, energy
Systematic execution of activities
Proper documentation
Maintain time schedule
Confidence
Sense of success

16. TYPES OF RESEARCH DESIGN
Exploratory and Causal research design
Descriptive
• Ex: Case study, naturalistic observation, Survey
Correlational
• Ex: Case control study, observational study
Semi-experimental
• Ex: Field experiment, Quasi-experiment
Experimental
• Experiment with random assignment
Review
• Ex: Literature review, Systematic review
Meta Analytic

17. EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN
(FORMULATIVE RESEARCH STUDIES)
 Main purpose  Formulating a problem for more precise investigation or of
developing the working hypotheses from an operational point of view
 Discovery of ideas and insights – not usually useful for decision-making by
themselves
 Must be flexible enough to provide opportunity for considering different aspects of
a problem under study
 Ex: Doctor examines a new patient who is suffering from an unfamiliar disease
 Reviewing available literature and/or data, informal discussions, in-depth
interviews, focus groups, projective methods, case studies, pilot studies,
experience surveys
 End  When the business researches are convinced that they have found the
major dimensions of the problem.

18. CAUSAL RESEARCH
 Seeks to find cause & effect relationship between variables
 Laboratory or field experiments and Simulation
 Determine causality
 Independent variable is manipulated to see how it effects the
dependent variable by controlling the effect of extraneous variables
 Complex – when peoples’ motivations and attitudes are involved
 For prediction and to test hypotheses
 Components  Research problem, Research question,
Program(cause), Units, Outcomes(Effect), Design

19. Laboratory Experiments Simulation

20. DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
 Provides association between 2 variables. Ex: Income & Place of
shopping
 Requires clear specification of who, what, when, where, why and how
 To determine characteristics as size, buying power, product usage
pattern, market share
 Also called “observational”
 Simplest  Case  Few cases Case series
• Steps:
1. Problem formulation
2. Population/universe definition
3. Sample selection
4. Data collection
5. Data analysis & results

21. BASIC
METHODS
OF
RESEARCH:
Survey
Observation
Experimentation

22. SURVEY
Method used for collecting primary data based on verbal or written
communication with a representative sample of individuals or
respondents from the target population
Used for both descriptive and causal research
Usually conducted by an interviewer  interacts with respondents
Fact-finding study
Phenomena cannot be observed directly – Questionnaire 
Response error/bias, Hesitant to reply, Interviewer error etc.
Features & Objectives

23. TYPES OF SURVEYS
• Cross – sectional surveys - – No. of characteristics from
sample elements are collected and analysed, relationship
found.# single point of time
• Longitudinal Surveys - Event/occurrence is measured again
and again over a period of time, To observe continuity &
change in response in due course.
Trend Studies : Sample of same population; not same people.
Long period of time.
Cohort studies : Particular population studied more than once
.Ex: 2018-21 Batch
Panel studies :
1.True Panel- Same panel, Same variables, Different time
2.Omni Bus – Same panel, Different variables, Different time

24. METHODS
OF
SURVEY
Census Method:
- Whole population is studied
- Time, money & energy
- Universe is small – Good method
Sample Method
- Small part/sample of universe is studied
Sample survey, Fax survey, Internet survey & E-mail survey
Merits & Demerits of survey

25. OBSERVATION
“A systematic viewing of a specific phenomenon in its proper setting
for the purpose of gathering data for a particular study”
Acquiring knowledge in social & physical science
1.Direct & indirect
2.Obtrusive & unobtrusive
3.Disguised & undisguised
4.Participant & Non participant
5.Structured & unstructured
6.Observation in natural or contrived settings

26. EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
• Origin- Agricultural research-Hence terms like plot, treatment, yield, block etc.
• Prof.R.A.Fisher
• 3 basic principles:
(1)Replication – Increase precision- Studies done on each plot- Inferences are reliable
(2) Randomisation – Decrease effect of extraneous variables
(3)Local control – Eliminate variability
Block 1 Block 2 Block 3
Plot A Plot B
Plot C Plot D
Plot B Plot D
Plot C Plot A
R1 R3 R4 R2 R1 R4
R4 R2 R1 R3 R2 R4

27. Goals of experiment
1.Internal Validity – Manipulation of independent variable actually
caused observed effect on dependent variables [Precondition –
Control of extraneous variables]
2.External Validity – Whether cause & effect relationship found in the
experiment can be generalized
Planning to conduct experimentation:
Hypothesis, Variable determination, experimentation plan, setting-
lab/field, experiment condition- close to real life, Control extraneous
variable
Advantages & Disadvantages

28. TYPES OF EXPERIMENT
 Laboratory experiment
 Field experiment
 Natural experiment
 Simulation
- Computer simulation  computer model imitates a particular situation. Ex: Assembly line of
a factory
- Man simulation  game played in laboratory setting. Ex:War
- Man computer simulation  combination
Steps:
1. Process/system identification
2. Purpose determination
3. Model development
4. Collect input data
5. Determine type
6. Operation

29. TYPES OF EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
• Single Variable Design – A, B, C
• Factorial Design
B.True Experimental Design
i. Post test only control Group design
ii. Pretest-posttest control group design
iii. Solomon four group
C.Quasi-experimental Design
i. Non-equivalent control group design
ii. Time-series design
iii. Counter balance design
A.Pre-experimental Design
i. One-shot case studies
ii. One group pretest-posttest design
iii. Static group comparison

30. SINGLE VARIABLE DESIGN
A. Pre-experimental Design
One-shot case studies
- 1 grouptreatmentpost test
One group pretest-posttest design
- 1 group pretexttreatmentpost text
Static group comparison
Groups Treatment Post test
Control Group No Yes
Experimental Group Yes Yes

31. B. True Experimental Design - Randomisation
Post test only control Group design
Pretest-posttest control group design – Internal Validity
Solomon four group- Richard Solomon (1949)
Groups Treatment Post test
Control group No Yes
Experimental Group Yes Yes
Groups Pre test Treatment Post test
Control group Yes No Yes
Experimental
Group
Yes Yes Yes
Groups Pre test Treatment Post test
Control group Yes No Yes
Experimental Group Yes Yes Yes
Control group Yes No Yes
Experimental Group Yes Yes Yes

32. C. Quasi-experimental Design – No randomisation- Real life situations
Non-equivalent control group design
Time-series design
1 group  Pre test  treatment  Post test => REPEAT
Counter balance design -
Groups Pre test Treatment Post test
Control Groups Yes No Yes
Experimental Group Yes Yes Yes
Groups Treatment Treatment Post test
Experimental Group A B Yes
Experimental Group B A Yes