Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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Example
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Example
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Experimental /(Causal design
(Conclusive Design)
• It provides answers to such questions by
explaining which variables are the cause(
independent variables) and which variables
are the effect( dependent variables)
• It is most appropriate when the research
objective includes the need to understand the
reasons why certain markets phenomena
happen as they do
Experimental design
• It helps to understand which market variables
( eg,packaging change) causes what effect on
other market variables (supermarket sales).
• To measure this however, the data must be
gathered under controlled condition- that is
holding constant neutralizing the effect of all
variables other than the causational variable
(in the case above supermarket sales)
Experimentation
• There are two types;
• Laboratory experiment is conducted in a
contrived (not natural/unrealistic) situation.
• Here the researcher create a situation with
the desired condition and then manipulates
some while controlling other variables.
Experimental design.
• Field experiment is conducted in a real-life
natural situation.
• The main distinction is the environment.
Example Field Experiment
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Example Field Experiment
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Example Field Experiment
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Example Lab Experiment
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Example Lab Experiment
The researcher offers them interest on what they save
as followings:
• 6% on savings for group 1.
• 8% for group 2.
• 9% for group 3.
• 1% for group 4 ( the old rate of interest).
Here, the researcher has created an artificial
laboratory environment and has manipulated the
interest rates for savings. He also chosen subjects
with similar backgrounds.
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Descriptive (Conclusive Design)
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Cross sectional.
• It involves collection of information from any
given sample population element only once.
Cross sectional studies are just conducted only
once.eg research to know the preference of
teenagers regarding their cola brand.
Longitudinal design.
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Case study research
• Researchers focus on, and study in depth, a single
• case
• A political theorist, a single individual, group,
community, event, policy area, institution, etc.
• Why choose case studies?
• Can generate a wealth of data on the case
• Invites inter-disciplinary approaches
• Allows for methodological promiscuity
• Weakness: generalizability
Causal Design/ Correlational
• A causal study: Is an inquiry to know the
cause of one or more problems.
• A correlational study: Is an inquiry to know
the important variables associated with the
problem.
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Example
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Survey research
• A survey is a method which investigates the
opinions and feelings of people. It involves
interactions between the researcher and the
• environment. Information is collected through
questionnaire or interview in many cases.
Information collected in this way may not be
available under any other circumstances
• the outcome of which has immediate application
Types of Survey
• two broad categories:
• Self-completion methods include mail and
electronic surveys.
• Interviewer-administered methods involve
direct contact with the respondents through
personal interviews, including face-to-face,
• telephone and computer dialogue.
Comparative design
• Method requires observing and comparing carefully
• selected cases on the basis of a stimulus being absent
• or present. Same logic as experimental design but
without similar control of extraneous variables
• Most similar case design; most different case design
• Comparative analysis facilitates generalizations
• beyond single cases (nations, cultures)
• Weaknesses:
• Too many variables, not enough cases
Comparison of research design
Exploratory Descriptive Causal
Emphasis Discovering of ideas Frequency of Determined cause
and insight occurance and effect
Features Flexible, Hypothesis based, Variable control
Unstructured Structured
Techniques used Focus groups, Survey, Experimentation.
In-depth interview, Observation, Panel
Mostly qualitative data, Mostly
research. quantitative
research.
Figure 3.8. Tasks Involved In a Research Design
Construct a Questionnaire
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