1. 21-09-2020
1
Solving a Research Problem
(Research Design)
Dr Dhaval Pujara
Professor & Head
Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering,
Institute of Technology, Nirma University
Ahmedabad 382 481
Email: dhaval.pujara@nirmauni.ac.in
Presentation Outline
What is a research design?
Need for Research Design
Important Concepts Relating to Research Design
Different Research Designs
A few questions…
1. Have you formulated a Research Problem?
2. Have you drafted a Problem Statement?
3. Are you clear about the Research Objectives?
4.What next?
Next Step…
To Answer the following Questions
1. How are you are going to conduct your research?
2. What procedures/methods will you adopt to solve the
Research Problem?
3. How will you collect, measure, and analyze the data?
4. What will you mange the required resources?
Answers to these questions constitute the core
of a Research Design.
Research Design – Formal Definition
A research design is a plan, structure and
strategy of investigation so conceived as
to obtain answers to research questions
or problems.
The blueprint or roadmap of the entire
research process or investigation.
Research Design Provides
the Answer to the Following Questions
 What is the study about?
 Why is the study being made?
 Where will the study be carried out?
 What type of data is required?
 Where can the required data be found?
 What periods of time will the study include?
 What techniques of data collection will be used?
 How will the data be analysed?
 In what style will the report be prepared?
 How will ethical issues be taken care of?

2. 21-09-2020
2
Need for Research Design
It facilitates the
smooth sailing of the
various research
operations.
It helps the researcher
to organize his ideas
and research flow in a
systematic manner.
It helps in gathering
maximal information
with minimum effort,
time and money.
Important Concepts Relating to Research Design
1. Dependent and Independent Variables
2. Extraneous Variables
3. Research Hypothesis
4. Experimental Setup
5. Treatments
Important Concepts Relating to Research Design
Variable is an element, feature, or factor that is liable to
vary or change.
Dependent variable is a variable whose value depends on
that of another.
Independent variable is a variable whose variation does not
depend on that of another.
Height depends upon age, then height is a dependent
variable and age is an independent variable.
Dependent and Independent Variables
Important Concepts Relating to Research Design
Independent variables that are not related to the purpose of
the study, but may affect the dependent variable are termed
as extraneous variables.
Whatever effect is noticed on dependent variable as a result
of extraneous variable(s) is technically described as an
experimental error’.
Example:
 Study of Impact of Online Learning on Students’ Understanding
in a course on Physics.
 One group uses an online knowledge base to study.
 The other group uses a traditional text.
 Extraneous variables could include prior knowledge of Physics.
Extraneous Variables
Important Concepts Relating to Research Design
A hypothesis states your predictions about what
your research will find.
It is a tentative answer to your research question
that has not yet been tested.
A hypothesis has certain characteristics:
 It is a tentative proposition.
 Its validity is unknown.
 In most cases, it specifies a relationship between two or
more variables.
Research Hypothesis
Important Concepts Relating to Research Design
The hypothesis can be tested by performing the
experiments. For this, a set-up is required.
While deciding the Research Design, the experimental
set-up and the associated parameters should also be
thought of. For example,
 The required equipment,
 The skilled man power to operate the equipment,
 The calibrations of the equipment,
 The testing condition,
 The quantity to be measured, etc.
Experimental Setup

3. 21-09-2020
3
Important Concepts Relating to Research Design
The different conditions under which experiment is
performed is referred to as ‘treatments’.
Example:
We want to determine through an experiment the
comparative impact of three varieties of fertilizers on
the yield of wheat, in that case the three varieties of
fertilizers will be treated as three treatments.
Treatments
Different Research Designs
1. Research design in case of exploratory
research studies
2. Research design in case of descriptive
and diagnostic research studies
3. Research design in case of
hypothesis-testing research studies
Research Design
in Case of Exploratory Research Studies
 Exploratory research is the process of investigating a problem that
has not been thoroughly investigated in the past.
 It is usually conducted to have a better understanding of the
existing problem, but usually doesn't lead to a conclusive result.
 The main purpose of such studies is that of formulating a problem
and/or discovery of ideas and insights.
 The three most common methods for such Research are:
I. Survey of Concerning Literature
II. Experience Survey and
III. Analysis of ‘Insight-Stimulating’ Examples
Research Design
in Case of Exploratory Research Studies
Survey of Concerning Literature
 Most simple and fruitful method
 Review and build upon the work already done by
others
 Works of creative writers also provide a fertile
ground for hypothesis formulation
 Helps in identifying key questions about a topic
that need further research
 Gives idea about the methodologies used in past
studies of the same or similar topics
Research Design
in Case of Exploratory Research Studies
Experience Survey
 The survey of people who have had practical
experience with the problem to be studied.
 For such a survey people who are competent and can
contribute new ideas should be selected as
respondents.
 The respondents so selected may then be
interviewed by the investigator.
 The researcher should prepare a questionnaire and
send to the respondent well in advance.
 The experience survey may enable the researcher to
define the problem more concisely and help in the
formulation of the research hypothesis.
Research Design
in Case of Exploratory Research Studies
Analysis of ‘Insight-Stimulating’ Examples
 Fruitful method for suggesting hypotheses for
research
 It is particularly suitable in areas where there is
little experience to serve as a guide.
 Analysis of insight stimulating cases includes all
those events, incidents and phenomena that
stimulate the researcher.
 Such cases invoke in the investigator the thinking
regarding the formulation of the hypotheses.

4. 21-09-2020
4
Research Design
in case of descriptive and diagnostic research studies
 Descriptive research studies are those studies which are
concerned with describing the characteristics of a
particular individual, or of a group.
 Diagnostic research studies determine the frequency
with which something occurs or its association with
something else.
 The design in such studies should focus attention on the
following
 What the study is about and why is it being made?
 What techniques of gathering data will be adopted?
 How much material will be needed?
 Where can the required data be found?
 How to process and analyse the data?
 What would be the effective ways to report the findings?
Research Design
in case of hypothesis-testing research studies
 Hypothesis-testing research studies (generally
known as experimental studies) are those
where the researcher tests the hypotheses of
causal relationships between variables.
 This type of Research Design reduces bias and
increase reliability
 The three principles of experimental designs:
1. Principle of Replication;
2. Principle of Randomization; and the
3. Principle of Local Control
Principle of Replication
 The experiment should be repeated more than
once.
 Researchers repeat the same studies on
different research participants to see if they
produce the same statistically significant
results each time.
 Replication helps in: obtaining an accurate
estimate of the experimental error; decreasing
the experimental error, thereby increasing
precision; and obtaining a more precise
estimate of the mean treatment effect.
1 Principle of Randomization
 The principle of randomization involves the
allocation of treatment to experimental units
at random.
 The purpose of randomization is to remove
bias and other sources of extraneous variation
which are not controllable.
 When dividing research participants into the
different groups, random assignment ensures
that every participant has an equal chance of
being assigned to both the experimental group
and the control group.
 It is the basis of any valid statistical test.
2
Principle of Local Control
 The main purpose of local control is to increase
the efficiency of an experimental design by
minimizing the experimental error.
 Local control refers to the amount of
balancing, blocking and grouping of the
experimental units.
 Balancing implies that the treatments should
be assigned to the experimental units such
that the result is a balanced arrangement of
treatments.
 Blocking means that, similar experimental
units should be collected together to form a
relatively homogeneous group.
3 Experimental Research Design

5. 21-09-2020
5
What is Experiment?
Research method in which
• conditions are controlled
• so that one or more independent variables
• can be manipulated to test a hypothesis
• about a dependent variable
It allows
• evaluation of causal relationships among variables
• while all other variables are eliminated or controlled
Dependent and Independent Variables
Dependent Variable
• Criterion by which the results of the experiment are judged.
• Variable that is expected to be dependent on the
manipulation of the independent variable
Independent Variable
• Any variable that can be manipulated, or altered,
independently of any other variable
• Hypothesized to be the causal influence
Experimental Planning
• Design of Experimental Setup
• Selection of Variables
• Selection of Measuring Instruments
• Calibration of Instruments
• Procurement of:
 Glassware
 Consumables
 Chemicals
 Material, etc.
• Repeatability of Experiments
• Uncertainty / Chances of Errors