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Research Design Classification
Reasearch Design Methods After we could define our research problems
clearly, the next step we will do is formulating research design. This step is
ultimately important as research design actually will be our detail guideline
in conducting research project. Research design contains all required
procedures in gaining information needed to answer our problems. If
research approach is research guideline in a brief, thus research design will
be our procedures in detail form to answer research problems.
In general, there are two main forms of research design: exploratory research
design and conclusive research design. Conclusive research design is familiar
known as quantitative research approach, while exploratory is known as
qualitative research.
A. Exploratory Research Design
Exploratory research design is mainly aimed to explore or to gain a new or
deeper understanding about particular problem. It is inappropriate to
examine correlation between observed variables, since the variables in
exploratory research commonly have not yet been defined. And, in
exploratory researchers usually use more %exible and using unstructured
questions in the measurement tools.
When should we use exploratory research?
Researchers usually use this research design for several purposes:
To help detine research problems more clearly
Many companies sometimes want to research their products, but they
have no idea what should be measured from their products. They still are
unable to cover what problems inherit their products. However, to be
able to get the best solution we must understand what problems we face,
so that they need to conduct a qualitative research in order to figure out
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any problems they are facing now. They can hold a focus group
discussion or in-depth interview with some customers to gain all
information from their point of view.
To help identify all possible alternative answers.
Assume that your company is facing two alternative decisions for your
promotion and marketing programs. You need to decide whether the
program will be focused on above the line or below the line events. To
choose the right decision you may need to conduct interview with some
experts or your respondents. From that activity you can gain any opinions
to be considered for your decision.
To help researchers build a deeper hypothesis.
Hypotheses are temporary allegation of the answer for research
questions. A good hypothesis should consider various factors that affect
on the observed variables. However, in fact we sometimes face a
condition where the available theoretical framework is not enough to
answer all the questions. As consequence, we need to conduct a prior
exploratory research before doing the actual research to determine the
factors that could be expected as the causes of certain event can
happen.
Exploratory Research as A Qualitative Research
From the purposes of exploratory research as I have explained before, you
might think that exploratory research design is no different with qualitative
research. You are not wrong. When we are talking about the research design
we use the term of exploratory research, but when we discuss research
approach you can consider qualitative research to describe any attempts to
explore something. We can consider them as the same method because both
of they are aimed to explore a deeper understanding about particular
material by using unstructured questions. In general, there are two
procedures for collecting data in this research design, directly and indirectly.
The direct method means that the researcher directly meets the
respondents, letting the respondents know his/her identity as interviewer
and collecting data from them. This direct method includes face-to-face
interview and focus group discussion. Then, the indirect method is conducted
by disguising your identity because if the respondents know that you are a
researcher who are observing them, some of them may manipulate their
answers.
B. Conclusive Research Design
In contrast with exploratory research design, conclusive research uses more
formal and structured questions to test the correlation between variables or
to test the truth from underpinning hypothesis. In conclusive research design
we will be required to use some quantitative calculations.
When should we use conclusive research design?
There are two circumtances when researcher needs to use conclusive
research:
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As conclusive research is the best suit research design for research
with many statistical equations and it can provide you a fix number about
particular material, so that it is commonly used in helping you make a
decision based on an absolute number, which in this setting we cannot
use exploratory research design because it cannot provide you a fix
number.
When your research is related to market study (such as to measure
market share, market size, distributor available, and consumers’ profile),
sales (e.g, a study to measure the effect of packaging on the consumers’
intention to buy), and to market test.
What are included in conclusive research designed?
Conclusive research design is divided to causal research and descriptive
research.
1. Causal Research
It is used to prove that there is a relationship between observed variables.
Commonly, there are two purposes of causal research. First, it helps
researcher to figure out the nature of that relationship – which factor
becomes the cause and the effect. Second, researcher can use this design to
observe respondents even they who have never experienced the phenomena
being researched by conducting an experiment. For more understanding you
can read illustration below.
A manufacturer is intending to launch a new form of mosquito repellent
products. This product has not been available in the market before. To test
whether the new form will be preferred by consumers or not, the
manufacturer tested through an experimentation. The cause variable
(independent variable) is the new form of repellent. And, the effect variable
(dependent variable) is the ease in use and the level of consumer
complaints. Respondents were given samples of both the old products and
the new form products to see how respondents response to the new one.
2. Descriptive Research
Descriptive research is a type of research design which main purpose is to
describe phenomena. Basic assumption in this research design is the
researchers have already figured out the problem, they are able to define the
observed variables, and they can classify the population being measured. A
researcher cannot describe Iphone based on the answers gained from a
survey on respondents who have never known the Iphone.
Based on how data are collected from respondents, descriptive research is
split to:
a. Cross-sectional research :It is a descriptive research design where data
is taken only once in a given time. Data can be taken from a group of
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respondents (single cross-sectional design), and can also be taken from
several different groups of respondent (multiple cross-sectional design).
b. Longitudinal research: In this design, data are captured during a
certain time interval from the same group of respondents. This research
aims to see whether there are changes in the behavior of the respondents
for a period of time. For example, researchers want to know how
consumer of an airline will behave during the holiday season.
The major limitation of longitudinal research is it is difficult to maintain
the level of data consistency along the time interval because some
factors may a-ect the respondents such as death, respondents were out
of the deal, and the limited ability of the company to provide research
facilities for long periods of time.
Qualitative Methods Quantitative Methods
Methods include focus groups,
in-depth interviews, and reviews
of documents for types of
themes
Surveys, structured interviews
& observations, and reviews of
records or documents for
numeric information
Primarily inductive process used
to formulate theory or
hypotheses
Primarily deductive process
used to test pre-specitied
concepts, constructs, and
