This document discusses important considerations for developing a strong research problem and design. It recommends choosing a research problem that is feasible but not overly narrow or broad, and avoiding overdone or controversial topics. The research design should identify dependent and independent variables, control for extraneous variables, and establish research hypotheses to be tested with experimental or non-experimental methods while following principles of replication, randomization, and local control.

1. Research Problem and Research Design

3.  Some difficulty which a researcher
experiences in the context of either a
theoretical or practical situation and wants to
obtain a solution for the same

4.  Subject which is overdone should not be
normally chosen
 Controversial subject should be avoided
 Too narrow or too vague problems should be
avoided
 Familiar and feasible subject should be
preferred
 Costs and time involved should also be
considered
 Should be preceded by a preliminary study

6.  What
 Why
 Where
 When
 How
Need for Research Design

7.  Dependent and independent variables
 Extraneous variable
 Control
 Confounded relationship
 Research hypothesis

8.  Experimental and non-experimental
hypothesis-testing research
 Experimental and control groups
 Treatments
 Experiment

9.  Principle of Replication
 Principle of Randomization
 Principle of Local Control

10.  Informal experimental designs
◦ Before-and-after without control design
◦ After-only with control design
◦ Before-and-after with control design
 Formal experimental designs
◦ Completely randomized designs
◦ Randomized block design
◦ Latin square design
◦ Factorial designs