Research Design

Research Design

The research design is the master plan specifying

the methods and procedures for collecting and
analyzing the needed information.
 It is a systematic plan of what is to be done,
how it will be done, & how the data will be
analysed.
Research design basically provides an outline
of how the research will be carriedout & the
methods that will be used.
It includes the descriptions of the research
approaches, dependent & independent
variables, sampling design, & planning format
for data collection, analysis &presentation
 Types of Research Design

Although every problem and research objective

may seem unique, there are usually enough
similarities among problems and objectives to
allow decisions to be made in advance about the
best plan to resolve the problem.
There are some basic marketing research designs
that can be successfully matched to given
problems and research objectives.
 The designing decisions happen to be in respect
of:
(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?
7/42
 Split the overall research design into the following parts:
(a) sampling design
the method of selecting items to be observed;
(b) observational design
the conditions under which the observations are to
be made;
(c) statistical design
the question of how many items are to be observed
and how the information and data gathered are to be
analysed;
(d) operational design
the techniques by which the procedures specified in
the sampling, statistical and observational designs
can be carried out.
8/42
 Selecting a research design

Nature of the research problem:

Purpose of the study:
 The important features of a research
design
(i) a plan
specifies the sources & types of information
relevant to the research problem
(ii) a strategy
which approach will be used for gathering and
analyzing the data.
(iii) the time and cost budgets
most studies are done under these two constraints

10/42
 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 analyzing data
11/42
 The various concepts relating to designs
1. Dependent and independent variables
A concept which can take on different
quantitative values (a variable)
Qualitative phenomena (or the attributes) are
also quantified
If one variable depends upon or is a
consequence of the other variable --- a
dependent variable,
the variable that is antecedent to the
dependent variable --- an independent
variable.
12/42
 Types of Research Design

Three traditional categories of research design:

Exploratory
Descriptive
Causal
The choice of the most appropriate design
depends largely on the objectives of the research
and how much is known about the problem and
these objectives.
Exploratory- discovery
Descriptive- relationships
Causal- cause-and-effect
 Research Design: Some Observations

The overall research design for a project may

include one or more of these three designs as
part(s) of it.
Further, if more than one design is to be used,
typically we progress from Exploratory toward
Causal.
 Overview of Research Design
Uses Types
Formulate problems more precisely Literature search
Develop Hypotheses Experience survey
Exploratory Establish priorities for research Analysis of select cases
Research Eliminate impractical ideas Interviews
Clarify concepts Ethnographies
Focus groups
Etc.
Describe segment characteristics
Descriptive Estimate proportion of people
Research who behave in a certain way Longitudinal study
Make specific predictions
Panels
Sample Survey
Causal Provide evidence regarding causal
Research relationships
Rule out all other explanations Laboratory experiment
Field experiment
 Basic Research Objectives and Research
Design

Research Objective Appropriate Design

To gain background information, to define terms, to clarify Exploratory

problems and develop hypotheses, to establish
research priorities, to develop questions to be
answered
To describe and measure marketing phenomena at a point Descriptive
in time
To determine causality, test hypotheses, to make if-then Causal
statements, to answer questions
 Research Design: Exploratory Research

Exploratory research is most commonly

unstructured, informal research that is
undertaken to gain background information about
the general nature of the research problem.
Exploratory research is usually conducted when
the researcher does not know much about the
problem and needs additional information or
desires new or more recent information.
 Research Design: Exploratory Research

Exploratory research is used in a number of

situations:
To gain background information
To define terms
To clarify problems and hypotheses
To establish research priorities
 Research Design: Exploratory Research

A variety of methods are available to conduct

exploratory research:
Secondary Data Analysis
Experience Surveys
Case Analysis
Focus Groups
Projective Techniques
 Research Design: Descriptive Research

Descriptive research is undertaken to provide

answers to questions of who, what, where, when,
and how but not why.
Two basic classifications:
Cross-sectional studies
Longitudinal studies
 Research Design: Descriptive Research
Cross-sectional Studies

Cross-sectional studies measure units from a

sample of the population at only one point in
time.
Sample surveys are cross-sectional studies
whose samples are drawn in such a way as to be
representative of a specific population.
On-line survey research is being used to collect
data for cross-sectional surveys at a faster rate of
speed.
 Research Design: Descriptive Research
Longitudinal Studies

Longitudinal studies repeatedly draw sample

units of a population over time.
One method is to draw different units from the
same sampling frame.
A second method is to use a panel where the
same people are asked to respond periodically.
On-line survey research firms recruit panel
members to respond to online queries.
 Research Design: Descriptive Research
Longitudinal Studies

Two types of panels:

Continuous panels ask panel members the
same questions on each panel measurement.
Discontinuous (Omnibus) panels vary
questions from one time to the next.
Longitudinal data used for:
Market tracking
Brand-switching
Attitude and image checks
 Descriptive research

is a study designed to depict the participants in

an accurate way.
Observational, defined as a method of viewing
and recording the participants
Case study, defined as an in-depth study of an
individual or group of individuals
Survey, defined as a brief interview or discussion
with an individual about a specific topic
 Observational studies

are all about watching people

Naturalistic, also known as field observation, is a
study where a researcher observes the subject in its
natural environment. (Mystery shopping)
Observing the chimpanzees in their natural
environment and drawing conclusions from this. have
less control over what happens.
laboratory observation, where a researcher
observes the subject in a laboratory setting.
http://vimeo.com/8965484

Rabbit season
27/42
 Research Design: Causal Research

Causality may be thought of as understanding a

phenomenon in terms of conditional statements
of the form If x, then y.
Causal relationships are typically determined by
the use of experiments, but other methods are
also used.
Research hypothesis
When a prediction or a hypothesized
relationship is to be tested by
scientific methods, it is termed as
research hypothesis.
The research hypothesis is a
predictive statement that relates
an independent variable to a
dependent variable.
29/42
Experimental and non-experimental
hypothesis-testing research:
When the purpose of research is to test a
research hypothesis, it is termed as
hypothesis-testing research.
It can be of the experimental design or of
the non-experimental design.
For instance, a researcher wants to study whether
intelligence affects reading ability for a group of
students and for this purpose he randomly selects
50 students and tests their intelligence and reading
ability by calculating the coefficient of correlation
between the two sets of scores.
30/42
 Experiments

An experiment is defined as manipulating (changing

values/situations) one or more independent variables to
see how the dependent variable(s) is/are affected, while
also controlling the affects of additional extraneous
variables.
Independent variables: those over which the
researcher has control and wishes to manipulate i.e.
package size, ad copy, price.
Dependent variables: those over which the
researcher has little to no direct control, but has a
strong interest in testing i.e. sales, profit, market
share.
Extraneous variables: those that may effect a
dependent variable but are not independent variables.
 Experimental Design

An experimental design is a procedure for

devising an experimental setting such that a
change in the dependent variable may be solely
attributed to a change in an independent variable.
Symbols of an experimental design:
O = measurement of a dependent variable
X = manipulation, or change, of an independent
variable
R = random assignment of subjects to
experimental and control groups
E = experimental effect
 Experimental Design

After-Only Design: X O1
One-Group, Before-After Design: O1 X O2
Before-After with Control Group:
Experimental group: O1 X O2
Control group: O 3 O4
Where E = (O2 O1) (O4 O3)
 How Valid Are Experiments?

An experiment is valid if:

the observed change in the dependent variable
is, in fact, due to the independent variable
(internal validity)
if the results of the experiment apply to the
real world outside the experimental setting
(external validity)
 Types of Experiments

Two broad classes:

Laboratory experiments: those in which the
independent variable is manipulated and
measures of the dependent variable are taken
in a contrived, artificial setting for the purpose
of controlling the many possible extraneous
variables that may affect the dependent
variable
Field experiments: those in which the
independent variables are manipulated and
measurements of the dependent variable are
made on test units in their natural setting
 Test Marketing

Test marketing is the phrase commonly used to

indicate an experiment, study, or test that is
conducted in a field setting.
Two broad classes:
To test the sales potential for a new product or
service
To test variations in the marketing mix for a
product or service
 Types of Test Markets

Standard test market: one in which the firm tests

the product and/or marketing mix variables
through the companies normal distribution
channels
Controlled test markets: ones that are conducted
by outside research firms that guarantee
distribution of the product through prespecified
types and numbers of distributors
 Types of Test Marketscont.

Electronic test markets: those in which a panel of

consumers has agreed to carry identification
cards that each consumer presents when buying
goods and services
Simulated test markets: those in which a limited
amount of data on consumer response to a new
product is fed into a model containing certain
assumptions regarding planned marketing
programs, which generates likely sales volume
 Test Markets

Test marketing is used in both consumer markets

and industrial or B2B markets as well.
Lead country test market: test marketing
conducted in specific foreign countries that seem
good predictors for an entire continent
 7. Factorial designs
where the effects of varying more than one
factor are to be determined.
important in several economic and social
phenomena
Factorial designs can be of two types:
(i) simple factorial designs
(ii) complex factorial designs

40/42
 Illustration 1: (2 2 simple factorial design).
A 2 2 simple factorial design can graphically
be depicted as follows:

41/42
42/42
The graph relating to Study I indicates that there is an
interaction between the treatment and the level which, in
other words, means that the treatment and the level are not
independent of each other.
The graph relating to Study II shows that there is no
interaction effect which means that treatment and level in 43/42
this study are relatively independent of each other.
44/42