THE RESEARCH PROCESS: ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN

The Research Process

The Research Design

Many definitions of research design:
Constitutes the blueprint for collection, measurement, and analysis of data Aids the researcher in the allocation of limited resources by posing crucial choices in methodology The plan and structure of investigation so conceived as to obtain answers to research questions Express both the structure of the research problem and the plan of investigation used to obtain empirical evidence on those relationships

The Research Design (Contd)

The essentials of research design:
An activity- and time-based plan A plan always based in the research question A guide for selecting sources and type of information A framework for specifying the relationships among the studys variables A procedural outline for every research activity

The Research Design (Contd)

Issues relating to decisions regarding:
The purpose for the study Study setting Type of investigation Extent of researcher interference Time horizon Unit of analysis

The Research Design (Contd)

Issues relating to decisions regarding (Contd):
Sampling design Data collection methods Measurement Data analysis

The Research Design (Contd)

DETAILS OF STUDY MEASUREMENT Purpose of the study Type of investigation Extent of researcher interference Minimal: studying events as they normally occur Manipulation and/or control and/or simulation Study Setting Measurement and measures

Exploration Description Hypothesis testing

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Establishing: 1. Causal relationship 2. Correlations 3. Group differences, ranks, etc

Contrived Non contrived

Operational definition Items (measure) Scaling Categorizing Coding

DATA ANALYSIS

1. Feel for data 2. Goodness of data 3. Hypothesis testing

Unit of analysis (population to be studied)

Sampling design

Time horizon

Data collection method

Individuals Dyads Groups Organizations Etc

Probability/ nonprobability Sample size

Cross sectional Longitudinal

Observation Interview Questionnaire Physical measurement Unobstrusive

Purpose of the study

Exploratory:
Undertaken when not much is known about the situation at hand, or no information is available on how similar problems or research issues have been solved in the past

Purpose of the study (Contd)

Descriptive:
Undertaken in order to ascertain and be able to describe the characteristics of the variable of interest in a situation

Purpose of the study (Contd)

Hypotheses testing:
Undertaken to explain the variance in the independent variable or to predict organizational outcomes

Type of Investigation
Causal
The study in which the researcher wants to delineate the cause of one or more variables

Correlation
When the researcher is interested in delineating the important variables associated with the problems

Extent of Researcher Interference

Minimal Moderate Excessive

Study Setting
Contrived
Artificial settings

Noncontrived
Natural environment

Unit of analysis
Refers to the level of aggregation if the data collected during the subsequent data analysis stage
Individual, dyads, groups, etc

Time Horizon
Cross sectional
Data are gathered just once

Longitudinal
Data are gathered at more than one point in time