A research design outlines the study of data collection and analysis in a way that addresses the research problem efficiently. It specifies sources and types of relevant information, strategies for solving problems, time/cost budgets, and data processing/analysis methods. Important concepts include independent/dependent variables, hypotheses, experimental/control groups, and treatments. Common research designs are exploratory, experimental, and non-experimental. Exploratory techniques include experience surveys, secondary data analysis, case studies, and pilot studies using focus groups, projective techniques, or depth interviews. A research design provides the framework and methodology for a research study.