This document discusses research design. It defines research design as a plan or strategy to obtain answers to research questions validly, objectively and economically. The key components of a research design are outlined, including what is being studied, why it is being studied, sample design, data collection techniques, and data analysis. Research design involves determining the independent and dependent variables, as well as how to control for extraneous variables. Methods for controlling extraneous variables include randomization, matching, building the variable into the design, and eliminating the variable. The overall goal of research design is to minimize the effects of extraneous variables and establish causal relationships between variables.

1. Presenters:
Muhammad Riaz
Babar Riaz

2. A research design is a plan, structure and
strategy of investigation so conceived as to
obtain answers to research questions or
problems. The plan is the complete scheme or
programme of the research.
It includes an outline of what the operational
investigator will do from writing the hypotheses
and their implications to the final analysis of
data. (Kerlinger 1986:279)

3. A traditional research design is a blueprint or
detailed plan for how a research study is to be
completed—operationalizing variables so they
can be measured, selecting a sample of interest to
study, collecting data to be used as a basis for
testing hypotheses, and analyzing the results.
(Thyer1993:94)
A research design is a procedural plan that is
adopted by the researcher to answer
questions validly ,objectively, accurately and
economically.

4.  (i) What is the study about?
 (ii) Why is the study being made?
 (iii) Where will the study be carried out?
 (iv) What type of data is required?
 (v) Where can the required data be found?
 (vi) What periods of time will the study include?
 (vii) What will be the sample design?
 (viii) What techniques of data collection will be
used?
 (ix) How will the data be analyzed?
 (x) In what style will the report be prepared?

5. Keeping in view the above stated design
decisions, one may split the overall research
design into the following parts:
(a) The sampling design which deals with the
method of selecting items to be observed for
the given study
(b) The observational design which relates to
the conditions under which the observations
are to be made

6.  (c) The statistical design which concerns with
the question of how many items are to be
observed and how the information and data
gathered are to be analysed
 (d) The operational design which deals with
the techniques by which the procedures
specified in the sampling, statistical and
observational designs can be carried out.

7. From what has been stated above, we can state
the important features of a research design as:
(i) It is a plan that specifies the sources and
types of information relevant to the research
Problem
(ii) It is a strategy specifying which approach
will be used for gathering and analyzing the
data.

8. (iii) It also includes the time and cost budgets
since most studies are done under these two
constraints
In brief, research design must, at least, contain:
(a) a clear statement of the research problem;
(b) procedures and techniques to be used for
gathering information;
(c) the population to be studied;
(d) methods to be used in processing and
analysing data.

9.  The theory of causality plays a fundamental
role in research design across various
disciplines, including social sciences, natural
sciences, and humanities. Causality refers to
the relationship between cause and effect,
where one event or variable (the cause) leads
to another event or outcome (the effect).
Establishing causal relationships is a central
goal of many research studies.

10. To study causal relationship one must get
acquainted with the following types of
variables:
1. Independent Variable: A variable that affects
another variable
2. Dependent Variable: A variable that is
affected by an IV
3. Extraneous Variable: It is also an IV that
affects the DV but not considered in study

11. Random or Chance Variable
Changes in the DV, because of the
respondent’s state of mood or ambiguity in the
research instrument is called Random variable
or Chance variable,. It depend on chance and
random error and could not be predicted.

12. Control Group
One important characteristic of a good
research design is to minimise the influence or
effect of extraneous variable(s). The technical
term ‘control’ is used when we design the study
minimising the effects of extraneous IVs. In
experimental researches, the term ‘control’ is
used to refer to restrain experimental
conditions.

13. Ensure that extraneous variables have a
similar impact on control and
experimental groups
 It is assumed that if two groups are
comparable, the extent to which the
extraneous variables will affect the
dependent variable will be similar in both
groups .The following two methods ensure
that the control and experimental groups are
comparable with one another:
1. Randomisation
2. Matching

14. Eliminate extraneous variable(s)
Sometimes it is possible to eliminate
the extraneous variable or to build it into the study
design. This is usually done when there is strong
evidence that the extraneous variable has a high
correlation with the dependent variable, or when
you want to isolate the impact of the extraneous
variable. There are two methods used to achieve
this:
1. Build the affecting variable into the design of
the study
2. Eliminate the variable