This document describes descriptive research design. Descriptive research aims to observe and document aspects of a situation as it naturally occurs without manipulation. It provides a picture of what is occurring in a setting and may help generate hypotheses. There are different types of descriptive designs including univarent, exploratory, and comparative. Univarent design describes a single variable, exploratory design explores an understudied phenomenon and related factors, and comparative design compares two or more groups on selected variables. Descriptive design involves identifying variables of interest and describing them without manipulation to interpret findings.

1. DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH
DESIGN
DR. MAHESWARI JAIKUMAR.
maheswari jaikumar2103@gmail.com

2. INTRODUCTION
• Descriptive research designs
aims to observe, describe and
document aspects of a situation
as it naturally occurs.

3. • Descriptive studies may
sometimes serve as a starting
point for hypothesis generation
or theory development.

4. FEATURES
• Descriptive designs are used to
observe, document and describe
a phenomenon occurring in its
natural setting without any
manipulation or control.

5. • Descriptive studies are designed
to gain more information about
characteristics within a select or
a particular field of study.
• Descriptive studies provide a
picture of a situation as it occurs
in natural setting.

6. • The design does not involve the
manipulation of variables.
Variables are studies as they
exist in the natural world.

7. • Descriptive research designs are
used to develop theories,
identify problems with current
practices, make judgments or
determine alternative solutions
for the existing practices.

8. • In case of descriptive studies bias
is prevented through operational
definitions of variables, by
choosing a large sample size, by
using random sampling
techniques, By means of using a
valid & reliable tools of
measurement, & formal data
collection procedures.

9. • Descriptive designs include
identification of a phenomenon
of interest, identification of
variables within the
phenomenon, developing
operational definitions of the
variables & describing the
variables.

10. • Thus through descriptive designs
description of variables leads to
an interpretation of the
theoretical meaning of the
findings and development of
hypothesis.

11. TYPES
• 1. UNIVARIENT DESCRIPTIVE
DESIGN.
• 2. EXPLORATORY DESCRIPTIVE
DESIGN.
• 3. COMPARITIVE DESCRIPTIVE
DESIGN.

12. UNIVARIENT
DESCRIPTIVE DESIGN
• Are undertaken to describe the
frequency of a phenomenon.

13. • The design does not focus on the
study of a single variable.
• Two or more variables are
studied.

14. • The basic purpose of this design
is not only to describe each of
the variables, but also to
establish the relationship
between two variables.

15. • This design is primarily used to
identify and describe the
perception, awareness,
behaviour, attitude, knowledge,
practices of people.

16. EXAMPLE
• A study to assess the
experiences of patients suffering
from Leprosy.

17. • In this study the researcher may
describe the frequency of
different symptoms experienced
by the patients and types of
treatment they received.

18. EXPLORATORY STUDY
• Exploratory design is used to
identify, explore and describe
the existing phenomenon and its
related factors.

19. • It is an in-depth exploration and
study of the related factors to
improve further understanding
about a less understood
phenomenon.

20. EXAMPLE
• An exploratory study to assess
the multi-factorial dimensions of
falls and home safety measures
for elderly people living in
selected communities in the city
of Chennai.

21. COMPARTIVE DESIGN
• Comparative research designs
are involved in comparing and
contrasting two or more samples
of study subjects on one or more
variables at a single point of
time.

22. • This research design is used to
compare two distinct groups on
the basis of selected attributes
such as knowledge & attitude,
etc.,

23. EXAMPLE
• A comparative study on health
practices among rural and urban
older people in Moolakulam,
Puducherry.

24. THANK YOU