Research Design and Methodology Quiz

Research Design & Methodology

• Research design is the blueprint for research, a plan to ensure that action achieves its objectives, and a way to avoid wasteful expenditure of money, time, and energy.
• It is a process of deliberate anticipation directed towards bringing an expected situation under control.
• Research design constitutes a conceptual structure within which research is conducted, including an outline of what the researcher will do from writing the hypothesis and its operational implications to the final analysis of data.

Design Decision

• Design decisions are made regarding what, where, when, how much, by what means concerning an inquiry or a research study, including:
  • What is the study about?
  • Why is the study being made?
  • Where will the study be carried out?
  • What type of data is required?
  • Where can the required data be found?
  • What periods of time will the study include?
  • What will be the sample design?
  • What techniques of data collection will be used?
  • How will the data be analyzed?
  • In what style will the report be prepared?
  • How the research purpose can be achieved with minimum expenditure of money, time, and energy.

Essentials of Research Design

• Research design can be partitioned into four parts:
  • Sampling design: deals with the method of selecting items to be observed for the given study.
  • Observational design: relates to the conditions under which the observations are to be made.
  • Statistical design: concerns with the question of how many items/subjects are to be observed and how data gathered are to be analyzed.
  • Operational design: deals with the techniques by which the procedures specified in the sampling, statistical, and observational designs can be carried out.

Essentials of Research Design (continued)

• Important features of a research design:
  • It is a plan that specifies the sources and types of information relevant to the research problem.
  • It is a strategy specifying which approach will be used for gathering and analyzing the data.
  • It also includes the time and cost budgets since most studies are done under these two constraints.

Sample vs. Census

• Sampling is a structured approach to provide interpretable results, with a systematic approach to:
  • Define the purpose of the observation activity.
  • Establish the level of observation details.
  • Use categories to capture key activities.
  • Use appropriate scales, checklists, and other observation materials.
  • Decide when to observe.

Data Analysis & Interpretation

• Think about analysis early, and start with a plan.
• Analyze, interpret, and reflect on the results, considering:
  • What did we learn?
  • What conclusions can we draw?
  • What are our recommendations?
  • What are the limitations of our analysis?

Why Data Analysis

• Data analysis is necessary to:
  • Ensure the questions and data collection instrument will get the information you want.
  • Align your desired "report" with the results of analysis and interpretation.
  • Improve reliability, with consistent measures over time.

Quantitative Research Methodology

• Quantitative research is a systematic scientific investigation of data and their relationships.
• The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories, and hypotheses pertaining to natural phenomena.
• Measuring is key in quantitative research, as it shows the relationship between data and observation.