This document discusses different types of research design. It defines research design as a plan or strategy to obtain answers to research questions while controlling variance. The key elements of research design include the problem, methodology, data gathering, analysis, and reporting. Different types of designs covered include historical, descriptive, developmental, exploratory, case study, correlational, causal comparative, experimental, and quasi-experimental. The purpose, process, and considerations for each design type are outlined.

1. RESEARCH DESIGN
Research Design is the plan, structure and strategy of
investigations conceived so as to obtain answer of
research questions and to control variance. -----
Kerlinger
The plan of attack: What approach to the problem will
be taken? And what strategies will be most effective?
A plan for selecting the sources and types of
information used to answer research questions
A framework for specifying the relationships among
the study variables
A blueprint that outlines each procedure from the
hypothesis to the analysis

2. PROCESS OF DESIGNING AND CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
PROJECT:
 What--What was studied?
 What about--What aspects of
the subject were studied?
 What for--What is/was the
significance of the study?
 What did prior lit./research say?
 What was done--How was the
study conducted?
 What was found?
 So what?
 What now?
2
1. Introduction,
Research Problems/
Objectives, &
Justification
2. Literature Review
3. Methodology
(Research sample, data
collection, measurement,
data analysis)
4. Results & Discussion
5. Implications
6. Conclusions and
Recommendations for
Future Research

3. ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN
 The Problem
 The Methodology
 Data Gathering
 Data Analysis
 Report Writing
Considerations while designing Research Design
 Useful and less costly
 Simplification of research
 Flexibility
 Minimize errors
 Reliability
 Appropriate Results

4. HISTORICAL RESEARCH DESIGN
 Analyzing the past events and develops the present
concept and conclusion
 Analyzing the previous informations or events
minutely and testing their validity
 The main purpose is to show the relevance of past
events to present
 Depends upon data observed by other rather than
investigator
 Depends upon primary sources and reviews of
literature

5. DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH DESIGN
 Fact finding from analyzing informations
 Assessing opinions, behaviors and to describe the
situations and events.
 Process of accumulating facts
 Researcher collects, classifies and correlates data
to describe what exists
 Related to prediction and explanation of facts

6. DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH
 Purpose is to predict future trends
 Concentrates on variables, their rate of changes,
directions, sequences and other interrelated factors over
a period of time
 1. Longitudinal growth study: study people or events at
different time periods.
 2. Cross sectional growth study: Data are gathered just
once: perhaps over a period of time.One shot study.
 3. Trend study: Data are collected after a certain time
interval
 4. Cohort Study:Study of a group of people who have
similar characteristics or experience.

7. EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN
 Identify problem and analysis of problem where is less
knowledge
 Find new idea in the area developing concepts more
clearly
 Less structured and more flexible
 Gaining knowledge reviewing literatures, enquiring and
interviewing and analyzing qualitative data
 The area may be vague or new

8. CASE STUDY RESEARCH
 Detail and Intensive analysis of any single events or
units or social issues
 Analyzing the events through observation
 Sources are individual record, diary, letters,
document of office, meeting and seminars etc.
 An intensive, integrated and insightful method of of
studying the social phenomenon
 A generalization drawn from a single case cannot
be applied to all cases..

9. CORRELATIONAL STUDY
 To ascertain the extent to which two variables are
related
 Changes in one variable accompany changes in
another
 Positive/ Negetive and Zero correlation
Causal Comparative Research
 Investigating the possible causes affecting a
particular situation by observing existing
consequences and searching for the possible
factors leading to this results
 Ex post facto; data are collected after all the events
of interest have occurred
 Considers to one or more Independent variables

10. EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
 Provides strong basis for causal relationship
 Controlling all other variables considering to a few
through observation or experiment
 Can be used in laboratory and work field
 It has manipulation, control and randomization
Quasi Experimental design
 When difficult to apply real experiment research in
social science it can be used
 Strictly control is impossible in social science