Research Design: Definition

A research design is a framework or

blueprint for conducting the marketing research project. It details the procedures necessary for obtaining the information needed to structure or solve marketing research problems.

Components of a Research Design

Define the information needed Design the exploratory, descriptive, and/or causal phases of the research Specify the measurement and scaling procedures

Construct and pretest a questionnaire (interviewing form) or an appropriate form for data collection
Specify the sampling process and sample size

Develop a plan of data analysis

Types of Basic Research Designs 1. Exploratory Research 2. Descriptive Research

3. Causal Research

A Classification of Market Research Designs Research Design

Exploratory Research Design

Conclusive Research Design

Descriptive Research Cross-Sectional Design

Causal Research

Longitudinal Design

Exploratory Research: What it is and What it is not

When a researcher has a limited amount of experience or knowledge about a research issue , exploratory research is a useful preliminary step that helps ensure that a more rigorous , more conclusive future study will not be begin with an adequate understanding of the nature of the management problem . The findings discovered through exploratory research would lead the researchers to emphasize learning more about the particulars of the findings in subsequent concussive studies . Concussive research answers questions of fact necessary to determine a course of action . This is never the purpose of explanatory research .

Why Conduct Exploratory Study Diagnosing a Situation Screening Alternatives(Concept testing) Discovering New Ideas Gain insights for developing an approach to the problem Establish priorities for further research

Categories of Exploratory research

Experience Survey Case Studies Pilot Studies for qualitative Analysis Focus group Interview Projective Technique Depth Interview Critical Review of literature Secondary Data analysis

Focus Groups
Focus groups: small group discussions led by a trained moderator Objectives: Generate ideas Understand consumer vocabulary Reveal consumer needs, motives, perceptions, and attitudes on products and services Understand findings from quantitative studies

Focus Groups
Advantages: Generation of fresh ideas Client interaction Versatility Ability to tap special respondents Disadvantages: Representative of the population? Subjective interpretation High cost-per-participant Domination of one participant and halo effect
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Few considerations
Group Composition Environmental conditions The moderator Planning of Focus Group Outline (hand out Z) Video conferencing and streaming Media Focus group as diagnostic tool

Projective Techniques
A projective technique is an indirect means of questioning that enables the respondent to project beliefs and feeling onto a third party ,an inanimate object , or a task situation . Respondents are nor requires to answer in a structured format . They are encouraged to described a situation in their own words , with little prompting by the interviewer .

Major Projective techniques

Word Association ( Job task and true feeling about job task . Also used in testing brand name ) Sentence formation ( People who work late are -------) ( A boss should not ----) Third person technique Role play Thematic Apperception test

In-Depth interview
A set of probing questions posed one-on-one to a subject by a trained interviewer so as to gain an idea of what the subject thinks about something or why he or she behaves a certain way

Depth Interviews
Non-directive or unstructured interviews

Semi-structured interviews

Standardized open-ended interviews

Techniques for Conducting Depth Interviews

Laddering

Hidden-issue questioning

Exploratory Research with secondary data

Another economic al and quick source of background information is trade literature . searching through such material is exploratory research by means of secondary data Once an informal situational analysis of secondary data or experience survey has been carried out , issue that still need clarification may warrant further exploratory investigation .

What are secondary data

Secondary data are data gathered and recorded by someone else prior to (and the purpose other than ) the current needs of the researcher . Secondary data are usually historical , already assembled and do nor require access to respondents or subjects .

Advantages of secondary Data

Cheaper Less time consuming help identify, clarify and redefine the research problem solution to the problem alternatives methods that can be used for primary research

Disadvantages of secondary data

Lack of availability Lack of relevance Inaccurate data Insufficient data

Testing the validity of secondary data

Methodology Check-Sampling Consideration, Methodology of data, Analytical tools used and subsequent reporting and interpretation of results Accuracy Check : Reputed source, compare data from multiple sources , Topical Check: time lag Cost benefit analysis : Financial Check

Syndicated Data
Syndicated Data Surveys Audits Panels

Syndicated Data

Syndicated

Surveys

Audits

Panels

Periodic

Panel

Shared Retail Scanner Consumer

Volume Tracking Data

Scanner Panels

Diary

Media

Descriptive Research
Quantitative Research Methodologies:
Descriptive Research Correlation Research Experimental Research Ex Post Facto Research Survey Research

Descriptive Vs. Experimental Vs. Ex post facto

Descriptive (What is the current situation?) Experimental (What is the cause?) Ex post facto (What was the possible cause?)

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Descriptive Research
What is the Descriptive Research?
This type of research involves either identifying the characteristics of an observed phenomenon or exploring possible correlations among two or more. It primarily concerned with finding out what is, solving the problems through the interoperation of the data that has been gathered, (answering the questions who, what, where, when and how...)

Descriptive what is the current situation?

Numerical data gathered through tests, surveys, observations, interviews variables are not manipulated but are measured as they occur Subgroups may be compared on some measure Two or more variables of a group may be correlated Doesnt attempt to identify cause of differences or relationships, just if they exist
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Descriptive Research
What the Descriptive Research can be used for?
Descriptive studies have an important role in social science research, such as business, government, public health, sociology and education research.

Can be applied to investigate questions such as:

Do teachers hold favorable attitudes toward using computers in schools? What kinds of activities that involve technology occur in sixthgrade classrooms and how frequently do they occur? How have high school computing courses changed over the last 10 years? Is there a relationship between experience with multimedia computers and problem-solving skills? What is the best way to provide access to computer equipment in schools?
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Use of Descriptive Research

To describe the characteristics of relevant groups, such as consumers, salespeople, organizations, or market areas. To estimate the percentage of units in a specified population exhibiting a certain behavior

To determine the perceptions of product characteristics

To determine the degree to which marketing variables are associated To make specific predictions

Types of Descriptive Research

Survey Developmental
Longitudinal approach Cross-sectional approach

Case Study Correlation Normative Observational ( qualitative) Causal-comparative ( ex post facto)

DR design & Analysis

1. Descriptive Research Designs 2. Using Checklists and Rating scales 3. Choosing a Sample in a Descriptive Study
Sampling design Bias in Research sampling

4. Interpreting Data in Descriptive Research

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Survey Research Methodology

Survey research is the most common type of descriptive research Involves questioning techniques for data collection
Survey methodology consists of asking questions of a (supposedly) representative sample of the desired population at a single point in time. The persons of whom the questions are asked are called survey respondents The most difficult part of conducting a survey is writing the questions

Surveys
Researcher samples a portion of a large population Allows to infer the current status of an issue
Nutritional practices Exercise patterns
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Census
A survey which obtains responses from the entire population is called a census

 Three key aspects Designing questions Sampling Data collection We want to have a study that is precise, credible, and accurate
A key issue is reducing error throughout the process

Poor attention to ANY of these aspects can result in poor results

DR design & Analysis

3. Choosing a sample in a descriptive study
Sampling design a) Probability sampling Simple random sampling Stratified random sampling Proportional stratified sampling Cluster sampling Systematic sampling b) Nonprobability sampling Convenience sampling Quota sampling Purposive sampling
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General Survey Data Collection Methods

Interviews Questionnaires

 Phone interview

Interview Methods

Common in marketing research Not used much in HHP

Personal interview
Applicable if the sample is small and accessible Structured, semi-structured, or unstructured interview Recording of information

Focus group interview

Interview groups of people Requires skilled facilitator

An interview schedule or guide contains the questions to be read to the respondent during an interview as well as a place for recording the answers

Conducting a questionnaire study

1. state the problem 2. select participants 3. construct the questionnaire 4. prepare cover letter 5. pretest questionnaire 6. follow up activities 7. analyze/report results

Questionnaires
A questionnaire is a self-report instrument that is generally mailed or handed to the respondent to complete with no help from the researcher
Administered questionnaire
Respondents are directly given the questionnaire

Distributed questionnaire
Questionnaire is mailed or electronically delivered

Majority of survey research in HHP uses a questionnaire as data-collection technique

Getting Started

Statement of the Problem Selection of subjects

Subjects must be willing to participate

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Questionnaire Development
Composing Questions each question should have three important attributes: focus, brevity, and simplicity
The questions should focus directly on the issue or topic relevant to the information needs of the study They should be as short or brief as possible while still conveying the meaning The questions should be expressed as simply and clearly as they can be

Questionnaire Development
Questions should be worded so they are not ambiguous, misleading, or biased Double-barreled questions should be avoided Use simple sentences where possible and complex sentences only when essential Level of wording (vocabulary) should be appropriate for the intended respondents

place similar items together ask general, non-threatening items first, moving into more specific, self-revealing items

dont jam items together dont put the most important questions at the end of the instrument

Appropriateness of Questionnaire
Validity and reliability of the questionnaire should be determined before it is administered Use of a pilot study
Revise questionnaire as needed

Questionnaire Format
Organization of Questionnaire
appearance and layout is important length (no. of questions) is a major factor
in general, longer questionnaires have a poorer return rate

place easy to answer questions first sensitive questions should be near the end items should be placed in a logical order demographic information
recommend placing demographic questions at end

Response Format
Closed-ended (structured)
standard answers provided easy to code and score facilitates answering sensitive questions may make for a long questionnaire generally considered easy for respondent

Open-ended (unstructured)
respondent may answer as they choose exploratory; allows detailed response preferable for complex questions may be difficult to code and score requires more time and effort of respondent

Types of questions
Open-ended questions
Why do you smoke?

Completion (Fill-in the-blank)

How old were you when you started smoking? ______

Closed questions
How many cigarettes a day do you smoke? a. 1-4 b. 5-10 c. 11-20 d. more than 20

Conducting Descriptive Research

Developing the Questionnaire

Pros
Efficient May be mailed Developed to meet the needs of the researcher

Cons
Difficult to construct May not be returned

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Preparing the cover letter

Used to motivate subjects to respond Explains the purpose of the study and gives good reason to return Anonymity should be assured Deadlines dates should be given
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Cover Letter Guidelines

All mailed surveys should include a cover letter explaining the following:
who is conducting the survey what is the purpose of the survey why it is important for the respondent to answer inducements for the respondent, if any how is the confidentiality of the respondent being protected basic instructions for completing and returning the questionnaire

Cover Letter Guidelines

Personalize cover letter if possible (mail merge)
this has been shown to increase the return rate

Corporate or institutional letterhead and printed envelopes should be used for the cover letter and mailing envelopes

 Controlling costs

Questionnaire Distribution

bulk mail rates length of questionnaire (i.e., weight of mailing)

High return rate

self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) postage-paid, business reply envelopes good mailing list follow-up strategy

Cover letter Appropriate timing of mailing

secondary follow-up strategies to increase response rate up to 10% telephone nonrespondents to encourage them to respond

Pre-Testing the Questionnaire

Pilot the survey Proof read by 2 or 3 colleagues Mailed to a small sample If return rate is low, examine the instrument and the letter
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Follow-up
70% of your surveys should be returned for your study to be valid Send a reminder Send a second set of questions with a new cover letter
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initial follow-up strategies to increase response rate up to 20% send out reminder postcard mail a second packet with a new, positively worded cover letter and another self-addressed, stamped, return envelope

Analysis of Results
Report response rates for each item Report overall percentage of returns May compare responses across items Cannot establish a direct cause and effect
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Survey Research Errors

Information obtained from a survey depends on the questions that are asked, on how the respondents react to the questions, and on what respondents choose to reveal about themselves Researchers are somewhat limited in their ability to assess the quality of the findings since there is usually no way of checking the accuracy or truthfulness of the responses Gathering meaningful information is difficult because survey research is particularly susceptible to two types of errors:
Nonsampling errors Sampling errors

Non-sampling Errors
Non-sampling errors have several sources including any differences in the way the researcher and the respondents interpret questions, the inability or unwillingness of the respondents to provide correct or honest information, mistakes made when recording or coding the responses, and missing responses controlling response errors when subjects provide incorrect or false information is particularly difficult since they depend on the behavior of the respondents, something that is beyond the control of the researcher controlling processing and data collection errors can be largely controlled by the researcher

Sampling Errors
Sampling errors are those errors resulting from any differences between the data obtained from the sample, and the data that would have been obtained from the complete population this is the type of error made from inferring a population characteristic based on a sample Sampling error or margin of error is often reported with survey findings For example, a survey reporting that 57% of Iowans favor abortion with 3.5% margin of error really means that we can be 95% confident that the true population value lies within the ranges 53.5% to 60.5% (57% 3.5%)

Examples of Descriptive Studies

Descriptive Studies

Sales Studies

Consumer Perception And Behavior Studies Image Product Usage Advertising Pricing

Market Characteristic Studies Distribution Competitive Analysis

Market Potential Market Share Sales Analysis

Develepmental:Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Designs

A cross-sectional design involves the collection of information from any given sample of population elements only once.

In a longitudinal design, a fixed sample (or samples) of population elements is measured repeatedly on the same variables in order to measure changes over time

Cross Sectional vs. Longitudinal Designs

Cross Sectional Design

Sample Surveyed at T1

Longitudinal Design

Sample Surveyed at T1

Same Sample also Surveyed at T2

T2

Time

T1

TABLE 3.3 RELATIVE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF LONGITUDINAL AND CROSSSECTIONAL DESIGNS Evaluation Criteria Detecting change Large amount of data collection Accuracy Representative sampling Response bias a relative disadvantage. + Note: A + indicates a relative advantage over the other design whereas a - indicates + + + + Cross-Sectional Design Longitudinal Design

Types of longitudinal surveys...

trend survey cohort survey panel survey follow-up survey

trend survey a study where a sample is taken from the general population in order to collect data over time involves different groups and different samples over time

cohort survey a study where a specific population is examined by sampling different groups within the population over time involves the same group but different samples from that group over time

panel survey a study where the same group and the same sample are examined over time

follow-up survey a study undertaken after a panel survey and seeks to examine subsequent development or change

Conducting an observational study

1. state the problem 2. select participants 3. define the observational variables 4. record observations 5. assess observer reliability 6. reduce observer bias 7. analyze/report results

1. state the problem topic must be of sufficient significance to motivate potential respondents and justify the research effort in the first place define topic in terms of specific objectives indicating the kind of information needed

2. select participants use an appropriate sampling technique participants must be able to provide the desired information sought and willing to provide it to the researcher

simplify procedure for recording observations by developing a coding procedure

4. record observations record behavior at the time it occurs alternate observation periods and recording periods

5. assess observer reliability use at least two observers who make independent observations compute interobserver reliability

6. reduce observer bias train observers until a satisfactory level of agreement is achieved (at least 80%) monitor observers

types of observer bias response set halo effect knowledge of participants

response set the tendency of an observer to rate the majority of observees as above average, average, or below average regardless of the observees actual behavior

The Case Study

Strives for an indepth understanding of a single situation or phenomenon A case can be a person, program, institution, project or a concept

Correlational
To determine if a relationship exists between two variables measured on the same individual e.g. Age and alcohol consumption; Years in the profession and safety record Did you realize that when children grow older, they are better reader? Age & reading ability -correlation

The Normative Survey

Establishes norms for abilities, performances, beliefs and attitudes on samples of people of different ages, genders and other classifications Youth Fitness Test National Children and Youth Fitness Study

Action Research
Conducted in the natural setting where it will be applied Lacks some control Results are always true for the setting Tries to solve a problem specific to the setting

Action research is simply a form of selfreflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of their own practices, their understanding of these practices, and the situations in which the practices are carried out

Causal comparative
It attempts to determine the cause or reason for existing difference in the behavior or status of groups of individuals. The cause is a behavior or characteristics, believed to influence some other behavior or characteristics, or are known as the grouping variable. The change or difference in behavior or characteristics that occur as result that is the effect _is known as independent behaviour.Put simply causal comparative research attempt to establish cause effect relation among groups

Example
How does having a working mother affect a childs school absenteeism? The grouping variable is the employment status of mother(again with 2 possible values___the mother work or mother does not work); the dependent variable is absenteeism, measured as number of day absent. The researcher identifies the group of students who have working mother and group whose mother dont work, gather information about their absenteeism and compares the groups.

TABLE 3.1 (Cont.) DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EXPLORATORY AND CONCLUSIVE RESEARCH Exploratory Findings Outcome: Tentative. Generally followed by further exploratory or conclusive research. Conclusive Conclusive. Findings used as input into decision making.

Tasks Involved In a Research Design

Define the Information Needed Design the Exploratory, Descriptive, and/or Causal Phases of the Research
Specify the Measurement and Scaling Procedures Construct a Questionnaire Specify the Sampling Process and the Sample Size Develop a Plan of Data Analysis

TABLE 3.2 A COMPARISON OF BASIC RESEARCH DESIGNS Exploratory Objective: Discovery of ideas and insights. Characteristics: Flexible. Versatile. Often the front end of total research design. Preplanned and structured design. Control of other mediating variables. Marked by the prior formulation of specific hypotheses. Manipulation of one or more independent variables. Descriptive Describe market characteristics or functions. Causal Determine cause and effect relationships.

TABLE 3.2 (Cont.) A COMPARISON OF BASIC RESEARCH DESIGNS Exploratory Methods: Expert surveys. Pilot surveys. Case studies Secondary data (qualitative). Qualitative Research. Descriptive Secondary data (quantitative). Surveys. Panels. Observational and other data. Causal Experiments.