The document discusses research design and the research process. It outlines four key characteristics of research design: neutrality, reliability, validity, and generalization. It also lists three advantages of marketing research: determining customer needs and wants, determining optimum inventory stock, and conducting comparative studies to stay ahead of competitors. Finally, it outlines the seven steps of the research process: defining the problem, reviewing literature, formulating a hypothesis, designing the research, carrying out the research, preparing results, and reporting findings.

1. Module 2 : Characteristics of Research design , Advantages of Research process, Seven steps
of Research process
2.1 A research design is the framework or blue print for conducting the market research
project. Once the specific research objective has been defined, it is essential to arrive at the
correct hypothesis, data collection method, sampling plan and research design instrument.
Characteristics of research design:
1.Neutrality: once you found out your study, you'll need to make assumptions about the info
you expect to gather . The results projected within the research design should be free from bias
and neutral.
2.Reliability: Your design should indicate how to form research questions to ensure the
standard of results. You’ll only be ready to reach the expected results if your design is reliable.
3.Validity: There are multiple measuring tools available. However, the sole correct measuring
tools are those which help a researcher in gauging results consistent with the target of the
research.
4. Generalization: The result of your design should apply to a population and not just a
restricted sample.
2.2 Advantages of Marketing Research:
• It helps in determining what the customers need and want.
• Market research helps in determining optimum inventory stock.
• To stay ahead of competitors market research is a vital tool to carry out comparative studies
2.3 SevenSteps of ResearchProcess:
The research process outline & steps can be stated as follows
Step‐ 1: Defining the Research Problem- All research sets in a research problem definitely.
Factual ignorance may be the research problem. “How do women employment improve
women empowerment?”
Step‐ 2: Review of Literature -It’s the most important step as it may be the previous research
that has already made a clear statement of the problem. Did previous researchers investigate
the same problem?
Step‐ 3: Formulating a Hypothesis- What the researcher intends to test? What is the
relationship between variables? Specify your Independent & Dependent variables. A
hypothesis is tested.

2. Step‐ 4: Research Design- It could be interviews or case studies or observation might be
appropriate depending upon situation.
Step‐ 5: Carry out the Research Process - The researcher proceeds with the research.
Step‐ 6: Preparing Research Results -Your challenges are not over yet. Rather problems
might just begin!
Step‐ 7: Reporting Research Findings - Describe the significance of the research study.
Work out how do they relate to the previous research findings. This is the last stage in terms
of the individual research project.