RESEARCH DESIGN

1*25=25 Marks.
FILL IN THE BLANKS:

1. A ____________ is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis of

data for research purpose.

2. The research design is the ___________ structure within which research is

conducted.

3. The ____________ which deals with the method of selecting items to be

observed for the given study.

4. The _____________ which relates to the conditions under which the

observations are to be made.

5. The ______________ which concerns with the question of how many items
are to be observed and how the information and data gathered are to be
analysed.

6. The ______________ which deals with the techniques by which the procedures
specified in the sampling, statistical and observational designs can be carried
out.

CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER:

7. Which research are those studies concerned with describing the characteristics
of a particular individual, or of a group.
a. Exploratory, b. Diagnostic, c. Descriptive, d. Experimental.

8. Who is associated with experimental designs?

a. C.WilliamEmory, b. Charles E. Osgood, c. R.A. Fisher’s, d. G.B. Giles.

9. “Marketing Research – A Management Information Approach” is done by

a. Jagdish N. Sheth, b. Danny N. Bellenger and Barnett, c. Paul E. Green,
d. Jum C. Nunnally.

10. Exploratory research studies are also termed as ______ research studies.
a. Formulative, b. Bibliographical, c. Flexibility, d. Practical.

11. The Principle of Local Control is another important principle of ______ design.
a. Research, b. Diagnostic, c. Exploratory, d. Experimental.

12. Which involves only the principle of replication and the principle of
randomization of experimental design ?
a. R.B. design, b. L.S. design, c. C.R. design, d. After–only with control design.
TRUE OR FALSE:

13. In the research design, the population is not to be studied.

14. The relationship between the dependent and independent variables is said to
be confounded by an extraneous variable.

15. Experience survey means the survey of people who have had practical
experience with the problem to be studied.

16. According to the principle of Replication, the experiment should not be

repeated more than once.

17. Experimental design refers to the framework or structure of an experiment.

18. R.B.design & L.S.design is not a formal Experimental design.

MATCH THE FOLLOWING:

19. Hypotheses A. Efficient

20. Good design B. Discrete variable

21. ** C. ’Insight - stimulating’

22. Extraneous variable(s) D. Experimental design

23. Agricultural operation E. Agricultural research

24. Descriptive studies F. Confounded relationship

25. Latin squares design G. Sample analysis

ANSWERS:

1. Research design, 2. Conceptual, 3. Sampling design,

4. Observational Design, 5. Statistical design, 6. Operational design,
7. C, 8. C, 9. B, 10. A, 11. D, 12. C,
13. F, 14. T, 15. T, 16. F, 17. T, 18. F,
19. C, 20. A, 21. B, 22. F, 23. D, 24. G, 25. E.

Note: 13-18-- F- false, T- True

Research design:

It can be defined as the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis

of data in a manner that aims to be relevant to the research purpose with
economy in procedure.

Features:

1) It is plan that specify the sources and type of information relevant to the
research problem
2) It is a strategy specifying which approach will be used for gathering and
analyzing the data
3) Also includes the time and cost budgets since most studies are done
under these 2 constraints

Important concepts relating to the research design:

Example

1) Research Problem: find out the effectiveness of marriage?

Marital problem

Dependent variable:
Increase (Financial constraint considered)

Independent variable:
Decrease (Financial constraint not considered)

2) Research problem:

Based on Education

Dependent:
Personal knowledge
Commitment
Faculty
Resources
Stationery

Independent variable:
Friends
Food
Director
Parents
Environment

Need for Research Design:

Benefits of a research design:

a) It acts as a bridge between the final objective and the method of study
to achieve the objective.
b) It anticipates the client requirements in terms of result and helps in
proper data analysis.
 c) Research design is particularly helpful in researcher identify the type of
data that needs to be obtained for conducting the research.
d) Research design will act has a guidance for effective research and will
be more beneficial
e) Unless the research design is developed the research cannot have a
clear idea about what she\he needs to do?

Experimental and control groups:

While conducting the experimental hypothesis testing research, if the group is

studied under usual condition. When the group is studied under situational
condition is known as experimental group.

Treatment refers to the conditions to which the experimental and control

groups are subjected.

Experiment: the process involving the checking the validity of a hypothesis

statement of a research problem is called an experiment.

Experimental units: Pre specified plots or blocks, where various treatments

are used is called as experimental units.

Research hyphothesis:
A research hypothesis is one that links an independent variable to a
dependant variable. It should generally contain one dependant and one
independent variable

Experimental design:

Three types:
a) Principle of replication
The experiment should be repeated more than once. By doing this the
statistical accuracy of the experiment is increased
For example: suppose we have to examine the effect of two varieties of life, for
this purpose – we may divide the field into 2 parts and grow one variety in one
part and other variety in other parts

We can compare the yield of the two parts and draw conclusion on that basis.
But if we have to apply the principle of replication to this experiment to this
experiment that we first divide the field into several parts grows one variety in
half of this part and the other variety in the remaining part. We can then collect
the data of yield on two varieties and draw conclusion on comparing the
same.

b) Principles of randomization
a. It indicates that we should design are plant experiment in such a
way that the variations caused by extraneous factors can all be
combined under the general heading of chance.
b. For example: one variety of rice, say in the first half of the parts of
the field and the other variety is grown in the other half, then it is
just possible that the soil fertility may be different in the first half
in comparison to the other half.
 c. In this situation, we may apply randomization principle against
the effect of extraneous factors (soil fertility differences)
c) Principles of local control
a. The extraneous factor, known factor of variable is made
deliberately over as wider range as necessary. And this need to
be done in such a way that the variability it causes can be
measured and hence eliminated from the experimental error.
b. For example: we divide the field in to several homogenous parts
known as blocks. Then, each such block is divided into parts
equal to the number of treatments.
c. Then the experiments are conducted on these parts of blocks
d. It can eliminate the variability due to extraneous factors from the
experimental error.

Experimental design: two broad classifications

1) Formal ED
a. Formal ED offer relatively more control and use précised statistical
procedure for analysis. (4 Types)
I) Completely randomized design
II) Randomized block design
III) Latin square design
IV) Factorial design
2) Informal ED
Informal ED is used to less sophisticated form of analysis based on
differences in magnitude. (3 Types)

Type1: Before and after without control design or One group pretest & post
test design:
In such a design, a single test group or area is selected and dependent
variable is measured before the introduction of the treatment.
The treatment is then used and the dependent variable is measured again after
the treatment has been used.
The effect of the treatment would be equal to the level of the phenomenon
after the treatment minus the level of the phenomenon before the treatment.

Test Area:

= Level of phenomenon before the treatment (X) ___________ Level of

phenomenon after the treatment(Y) = Y – X

Dis-advantages: the used extraneous variable are largely un controllable is the

main difficulty faced in the treatment of the above process

Type 2: After – only with control design or static group design

In this design 2 groups are selected and the treatment is introduced in the test
area only. The dependent variable is measured in both the areas at the same
time; treatment is impact is assessed by subtracting the value of the
dependent variable in the control area from its value in the test area.
Formula:
I) Before and after with control design –
1. Also known as pre- test & post- test control group
2. Two area are selected and dependent variable are
measured in both the areas for an identical time period
 before the treatment, the treatment is then introduced
in the test area and the dependent variable is
measured in both for an identical time period after the
introduction the treatment, the treatment effect is
determined by subtracting the change in the control
area from the change in the dependent variable in the
test area
3. Formula: Result = (O2 – O1) – (O4 – O3)
Benefit: 1) Extraneous variable
This design is superior to others because it avoids extraneous variations
resulting both from the passage of time and from non-comparability of the test
and control areas.

Formal:
Type 1:
The principals of replication and randomization are used. The essential
characteristics of design the subjects are randomly assigned to experimental
treatments, here one way ANOVA is used to analyze such a design. Even un –
equal replications can also work in the design. It provides maximum number
of degrees of freedom to error.

Two groups simple randomized design: the population is first defined and
from the population a sample is selected randomly. So this selected sample at
random is assigned to the experimental or the control groups.

Random Replication design: it provides controls for the differential effects of

the extraneous independent variable and it randomizes any individual
differences among those conducting the treatments.

Type 2: Randomized block design

Drug store General stores Provisional stores

Store 1 3 10
5 4 9
7 6 8

The distribution of drug to different locations will vary (price – Vary)

In randomized design, subjects are divided into groups; known has blocks,
such that within each group the subjects are relatively homogenous in respect
to some selected variables. The subject given in each block would be equal to
one subject in each block would be randomly allocated for each Treatment.

The main feature of the randomized block design is that, in this each treatment
appears the same no of times in each block. The block can be analyzed by the
2way ANOVA.
It can be used, when the researcher fells that there is one major extraneous
variable that will experimental research.
Limitations:
Using this design 2 effects can be defined, he main effect and the interaction
The main effect refers to the average effect of the particular treatment on the
dependent variable regardless of extraneous variable. The interaction effect
refers to the
Latin square design: