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RESEARCH DESIGN

Research design is the


arrangement of conditions for
collection and analysis of data in a
manner that aims to combine
relevance to the research purpose
with economy in procedure.
(OR)
Research design constitutes the
blue print for the collection,
measurement and analysis of data.
It aids the scientist in the
allocation of his limited resources
by posing crucial choices.
RESEARCH DESIGN
• NEED FOR A RESEARCH DESIGN
– It facilitates the smooth sailing of the various
research operations
– It yields maximum information with minimum
expenditure of effort, time and money
– To organize ideas and how to overcome the
flaws and inadequacies in the process.
The Nature of Good Design

• Theory-Grounded. Good research


strategies reflect the theories which
are being investigated. Where
specific theoretical expectations can
be hypothesized these are
incorporated into the design.
The Nature of Good Design
• Situational. Good research designs reflect
the settings of the investigation. For
example, when a particular need of
teachers and administrators was explicitly
addressed in the design strategy. Similarly,
intergroup rivalry, demoralization, and
competition might be assessed through the
use of additional comparison groups who
are not in direct contact with the original
group.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Important Concepts Relating to
Research Design
• The group in an experiment which receives the
specified treatment is called the Treatment
Group or the experimental group. However, the
term Control Group refers to another group
assigned to the experiment, but not for the
purpose of being exposed to the treatment.
Thus, the performance of the control group
usually serves as a baseline against which to
measure the effect of the full treatment on the
treatment group.
Important Concepts Relating
to Research Design
• Variance refers to the variability of any event. If one
uses a fine enough measuring device, one can find
differences between any two objects or events.

• Blocks usually refers to categories of subjects with a


treatment group. For example, we might divide the
group into older, middle aged, and younger patients and
further divide the groups into a group treated with Drug
A and another treated with Drug B. The advantage is to
enable us to discover how the treatment affects each of
the age groups. For example, we might find that overall,
Drug B out performs Drug A, except for older patients,
where Drug A out performs Drug B. This phenomenon is
known as an interaction between treatment (the Drug)
and subject characteristics (age).
Important Concepts
Relating to Research Design
• Dependent and Independent Variable :
– If one variable depends upon or is a
consequence of the other variable is termed
as an dependent variable.
– The variable that is antecedent to the
dependent variable is termed as an
independent variable.
– Extraneous Variable : Independent variables
that are not related to the purpose of the
study, but may affect the dependent
variable are termed as extraneous variables.
Important Concepts Relating
to Research Design
• Confounded relationship: When the
dependent variable is not free from
the influence of extraneous
variable(s), the relationship
between the dependent variable
and independent variables is said to
be confounded by an extraneous
variable(s).
Important Concepts Relating
to Research Design
• Research Hypothesis: When a prediction or a hypothesized
relationship is to be tested by scientific methods
• Experimental hypothesis-testing research: When the
purpose of research is to test a research hypothesis is
termed as experimental hypothesis-testing research.
• Non-Experimental hypothesis-testing research: A research
in which an independent variables are not manipulated.
Important Concepts Relating
to Research Design
• Experimental and Control Group: In
an experimental hypothesis-testing
research when a group is exposed to
usual conditions, it is termed a
‘control group’, but when the group
is exposed to some novel or special
treatment, it is termed as
‘experimental group’.
Important Concepts Relating to
Research Design
• Treatments: The different conditions under which
experimental and control groups are put are usually referred
to as “ treatments”.
• Experiment: The process of examining the truth of a
statistical hypothesis, relating to some research problem, is
known as an experiment.
• Experimental Units: The pre-determined plots or the
blocks, where different treatments are used, are known as
experimental units.
Types of Research Design
Research Exploratory/ Descriptive/
Design Formulative Diagnostic
Overall Design Flexible Rigid Design
Design( design ( Design must
must provide make enough
an opportunity provision for
for considering protection
different against bias
aspects of the and maximum
problem reliability)
Types of Research Design
Sampling Non-probability Probability
Design sampling sampling
design design
( purposive or ( random
judgment sampling)
sampling

Statistical No pre-plannedPre-planned
Design design for design for
analysis analysis
Types of Research Design
Observational Unstructural Structured or
Design instruments for well thought-
collection of out
data instruments for
collection of
data
Operational No fixed Advance
Design decisions decisions
about about
operational operational
procedures procedures
CHAPTER-4

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
DESIGNS
EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DESIGNS

Experimental Designs refers to


the framework or structure of
an experiment.
Experimental Design
An experimental design is a
set of procedures specifying

– the test units and how these units


are to be divided into homogeneous
subsamples,
– what independent variables or
treatments are to be manipulated,
– what dependent variables are to be
measured, and
– how the extraneous variables are to
be controlled.
Basic Principles of Experimental
Designs
• The Principle of Replication : The
experiment should be repeated more
than once.
• The Principle of Randomization: Provides
protection, when we conduct an
experiment, against the effect of
extraneous factors by randomization
• The Principle of Local Control: Blocking
Controlling Extraneous
Variables
• Randomization refers to the random assignment
of test units to experimental groups by using
random numbers. Treatment conditions are also
randomly assigned to experimental groups.
• Matching involves comparing test units on a set
of key background variables before assigning
them to the treatment conditions.
• Statistical control involves measuring the
extraneous variables and adjusting for their
effects through statistical analysis.
• Design control involves the use of experiments
designed to control specific extraneous variables.
Experimental Design
Experimental Design refers to the
framework or structure of an experiment
Informal Formal
Experimental Experimental
Design Design
Before & After without Complete Randomized
control design Design
After-only with control Randomized Block
design Design
Before & After with Latin Square Design
control design
Informal Experimental
Design
• Before and After without control Design:
In such a design a single test group or area is selected and the
dependent variable is measured before the introduction of the
treatment. The treatment is then introduced & the D.V is measured
again after the treatment has been introduced.

Test area:
Level of phenomenon Treatment Level of
Phenomenon
Before treatment( X ) introduced after
treatment( Y)

Treatment Effect = (Y)-(X)


Before-and-after without
control design
• Main difficulty-passage of
time considerable
extraneous variations may
be there in treatment
effect
Informal Experimental
Design
After only with control Design :

In this design two groups or areas are selected and the
treatment is introduced into the test area only. The D.V.
Is then measured in both the areas at the same time

Test area:
Treatment introduced Level of
Phenomenon
after
treatment( Y)
Control Area
Level of
phenomenon
After only with control design

• Assumption-two areas are


identical with respect to
their behaviour
Informal Experimental
Design
• Before and After with Control Design:
In this design two areas are selected and the D.V.
is measured in both the areas for an identical
time-period before the treatment. The treatment
is then introduced into the test area only, and the
D.V. is measured in both for an identical time
period after the introduction of the treatment.
Before and After with Control
Design:
Time Period I Time Period II
Test Area: Level of Phenomenon Level of phenomenon
before treatment ( X) after treatment( Y)

Treatment introduced
Control Area:
Level of Phenomenon Level of phenomenon
without treatment( A) without treatment ( Z)

Treatment Effect = ( Y-X) - (Z-A)


BEFORE AND AFTER WITH
CONTROL DESIGN
• Superior-it avoids
extraneous variation
• Non comparibility of test
and control areas
• At times due to lack of
historical data,time and
comparable control area
Formal Experimental Design
Complete Randomized Design ( C.R.Design)
Involves only two principle
– The principle of replication
– The principle of Randomization
– Subjects are randomly assigned to experimental
treatments
– When all the variations are due to uncontrolled
extraneous factors are included under the heading
of chance variation, we refer to the design of
experiment as C.R.Design.
Complete Randomized Design
( C.R.Design)
• Two Group Simple randomized
design:

Randomly selected
population
sample

experimental T;A
Randomly
I.V
assigned
control T:B
Complete Randomized Design
( C.R.Design)
• Random Replication Design: It serves two
purposes
• It provides controls for the differential
effects of extraneous independent
variables
• It randomizes any individual differences
among those conducting the treatments
Formal Experimental
Design
• Randomized Block Design ( R.B.Design)
– All the three principles are taken care off
– In this the subjects are divided into groups,
known as blocks, such that within each group
the subjects are relatively homogenous in
respect to some selected variable.
– Each treatment appears the same number of
times in each block
– R.B.Designs are analyzed by the two way
analysis of variance ( two way ANOVA)
technique.
Randomized Block Design
( R.B.Design)

V.Low Low Average High I.Q V.High


I.Q I.Q I.Q I.Q
Student Student Student Student Student

73
Form1 82 67 57 71

68 70 81
90 54
Form2 69
73 84
86 51
Form3 93 77 60 65 71

Form4
Randomized Block Design
• Is useful when there is only one
major external variable, such as
store size, that might influence the
dependent variable.
• The test units are blocked, or
grouped, on the basis of the
external variable.
• By blocking, the researcher
ensures that the various
experimental and control groups
are matched closely on the
external variable.
Table 7.4 Randomized Block Design
Treatment Groups
Block Store Commercial Commercial Commercial
Number Patronage A B C

1 Heavy A B C
2 Medium A B C
3 Low A B C
4 None A B C
Formal Experimental
Design
• Latin Square Design ( L.S.Design)
– Very frequently used in agricultural research.
– Used when there are two major extraneous factors
– The treatment in L.S. are so allocated among the plots
that no treatment occurs more than once in any row or
column
– Five types of fertilizer ABCDE $Two blocking
factors(varying soil fertility$varying seeds) may be
represented through rows and columns.
– Two way ANOVA technique is used.
– 5x5 to 9x9
Latin Square Design
• Allows the researcher to statistically control two
noninteracting external variables as well as to
manipulate the independent variable.
• Each external or blocking variable is divided into an
equal number of blocks, or levels.
• The independent variable is also divided into the same
number of levels.
• A Latin square is conceptualized as a table (see Table
7.5), with the rows and columns representing the blocks
in the two external variables.
• The levels of the independent variable are assigned to
the cells in the table.
• The assignment rule is that each level of the
independent variable should appear only once in each
row and each column, as shown in Table 7.5.
Table 7.5 Latin Square Design

Interest in the Store

Store Patronage High Medium Low

Heavy B A C
Medium C B A
Low and none A C B
Latin Square Design
( L.S.Design)
I II III IV V

X1 A B C D E

X2 B C D E A

X3 C D E A B

X4 D E A B C

X5 E A B C D
Factors affecting Research Designs

• Non availability of the sufficient data


• Availability of Time
• Availability of resources
• Ability of the Researcher
• External Factors
• Result Desired
VALIDITY

• By validity, we mean simply that the


researcher’s conclusion is true or correct-
that it corresponds to the actual state in
the world. Validity is an indicator of
accuracy in terms of the extent to which
a research conclusion corresponds to
reality.

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