RESEARCH DESIGN

PATRICK LEJAN S. DANAN, RCH

RESEARCH II
SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
LAS PIÑAS CITY NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
The research design refers to the overall strategy that you choose to integrate the different
components of the study in a coherent and logical way, thereby, ensuring you will effectively
address the research problem; it constitutes the blueprint for the collection, measurement,
and analysis of data. Note that your research problem determines the type of design you
can use, not the other way around
• The function of a research design is to ensure that the evidence obtained enables you to
effectively address the research problem as unambiguously as possible.
• Researchers can often begin their investigations far too early, before they have thought critically
about what information is required to answer the study's research questions. Without attending
to these design issues beforehand, the conclusions drawn risk being weak and unconvincing and,
consequently, will fail to adequate address the overall research problem.
Given this, the length and complexity of research designs can vary considerably, but
any sound design will do the following things:
• Identify the research problem clearly and justify its selection,
• Review previously published literature associated with the problem area,
• Clearly and explicitly specify hypotheses [i.e., research questions] central to the
problem selected,
• Effectively describe the data which will be necessary for an adequate test of the
hypotheses and explain how such data will be obtained, and
• Describe the methods of analysis which will be applied to the data in
determining whether or not the hypotheses are true or false.
 CONTENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN

1. Statement of research objectives, i.e., why the research project is to be conducted

2. Type of data needed
3. Definition of population and sampling procedures to be followed
4. Time, costs, and responsibility specification
5. Methods, ways, and procedures used for collection of data
6. Data analysis – tools or methods used to analyze data
7. Probable output or research outcomes and possible actions to be taken based on those
outcomes
TYPES OF RESEARCH DESIGN

1. Exploratory Research Design

This design is followed to discover ideas and insights to generate possible explanations. It helps in exploring
the problem or situation. It is, particularly, emphasized to break a broad vague problem statement into
smaller pieces or sub-problem statements that help forming specific hypothesis.

This design is followed to realize following purposes:

1. Clarifying concepts and defining problem
2. Formulating problem for more precise investigation
3. Increasing researcher’s familiarity with problem
4. Developing hypotheses
5. Establishing priorities for further investigation
TYPES OF RESEARCH DESIGN

2. Descriptive Research Design

Descriptive research design is typically concerned with describing problem and its solution.
It is more specific and purposive study. Before rigorous attempts are made for descriptive
study, the well-defined problem must be on hand. Descriptive study rests on one or more
hypotheses.
TYPES OF RESEARCH DESIGN

3. Causal or Experimental Design

Causal research design deals with determining cause and effect relationship. It is typically in
form of experiment. In causal research design, attempt is made to measure impact of
manipulation on independent variables (like price, products, advertising and selling efforts
or marketing strategies in general) on dependent variables (like sales volume, profits, and
brand image and brand loyalty). It has more practical value in resolving marketing problems.
We can set and test hypotheses by conducting experiments.
TYPES OF EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGNS

1. Complete Randomized Design

2. Randomized Complete Block Design
3. Correlational
COMPLETE RANDOMIZED DESIGN

• A completely randomized design (CRD) is one where the treatments are assigned
completely at random so that each experimental unit has the same chance of receiving
any one treatment.
• For the CRD, any difference among experimental units receiving the same treatment is
considered as experimental error. Hence, CRD is appropriate only for experiments with
homogeneous experimental units, such as laboratory experiments, where environmental
effects are relatively easy to control. For field experiments, where there is generally large
variation among experimental plots in such environmental factors as soil, the CRD is
rarely used
RANDOMIZED COMPLETE BLOCK DESIGN

• With a randomized block design, the experimenter divides subjects into subgroups called
blocks, such that the variability within blocks is less than the variability between blocks.
Then, subjects within each block are randomly assigned to treatment conditions.
Compared to a completely randomized design, this design reduces variability within
treatment conditions and potential confounding, producing a better estimate of
treatment effects.
RANDOMIZED COMPLETE BLOCK DESIGN

Advantages
• Generally more precise than the completely randomized design (CRD).
• No restriction on the number of treatments or replicates.
• Some treatments may be replicated more times than others.
• Missing plots are easily estimated.
RANDOMIZED COMPLETE BLOCK DESIGN

Disadvantages
• Error degrees of freedom is smaller than that for the CRD (problem with a small number
of treatments).
• Large variation between experimental units within a block may result in a large error
term If there are missing data, a RCBD experiment may be less efficient than a CRD

NOTE:The most important item to consider when choosing a design is the uniformity of the
experimental units.
 CORRELATIONAL

• A correlational study determines whether or not two variables are correlated. This
means to study whether an increase or decrease in one variable corresponds to an
increase or decrease in the other variable
Types
• Positive Correlation
• Negative Correlation
• No Correlation
CORRELATION

Limitations
• It is very important to remember that correlation doesn't imply causation and there is no
way to determine or prove causation from a correlational study. This is a common
mistake made by people in almost all spheres of life.
REFERENCES

https://library.sacredheart.edu/c.php?g=29803&p=185902
http://ciosmail.cios.org:3375/readbook/rmcs/ch13.pdf
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/marketing/research-design-introduction-contents-and-
types/48714
Siddharth Kalla (Jun 16, 2011). Correlational Study. Retrieved Nov 02, 2019 from Snakk Om
Mobbing: https://explorable.com/correlational-study