Discuss the types of Research Design

(i) Experimental Designs
These designs are used to study cause and effect relationships. The true experimental design is considered the most useful design to demonstrate programme impact if there is random selection of participating units and random assignments of treatment and control conditions.

(ii) Survey Designs
Survey is used to gather systematically factual information by interviewing or administering a questionnaire to a sample of individuals. It is the most frequently used method of collecting information about peoples attitudes, opinions, habits or any of the variety of social issues.


(iii) Correlation Designs
Correlation designs enable the researcher to asses the degree of relationship that exists between two variables (Orodho, 2003). Subjects are not randomly assigned to the experimental or the control group: rather they have already been exposed or not been exposed independent variable.

(iv) Case Study Design
According to Paton (1990), a case study seeks to describe a unit in details, in context and holistically. A case study is an in-depth investigation of in an individual, group, institution or phenomenon. Most case studies are based on the premise that a case can be located that is typical of many other cases. The case understudy is viewed as an example of a class of events or a group of individuals.

(v) Evaluation Design
Gay (1981) defines evaluation research as the systematic process of collecting and analyzing data in order to make decisions. Evaluation research is therefore a process of determining whether the intended results were realized.

(vi) Naturalistic Design
The naturalistic design grew out of the need to study phenomena as they naturally occur in the field. The goal of a naturalistic study is to understand the phenomena being observed. A major feature of this design has been the use of the human instrument (the observer) to collect, filter and organize incoming data. The design differs from others because it evolves during the course of the study.
(vii) Exploratory studies
Exploration is particularly useful when researchers lack a clear idea of the problems they will meet during the study. Through exploration researchers develop concepts more clearly, establish priorities, develop operational definitions and improve the final research design. Other factors that necessitate the use of exploration are
• To save time and money
• If the area of investigation is new
• Important variables may not be known or thoroughly defined
• Hypothesis for the research may be needed
• A researcher can explore to be sure if it is practical to do a formal study in the area.

Despite its obvious value, researchers and managers give exploration less attention that it deserves. Exploration is sometimes linked to old biases about qualitative research i.e. subjective ness, non-representativeness and non-systematic design.

When we consider the scope of qualitative research, several approaches are adaptable for exploratory investigations of management questions:
• In-depth interviewing – usually conversational rather than structured.
• Participant observation – to perceive first hand what participants in the setting experience
• Films, photographs and videotapes – to capture the life of the group under study.
• Case studies – for an in-depth contextual analysis of a few events or conditions
• Document analysis – to evaluate historical or contemporary confidential or public records, reports, government documents and opinions.

Where these approaches are combined, four exploratory techniques emerge with wide applicability for the management researcher: -
i. Secondary data analysis
ii. Experience surveys
iii. Focus groups
iv. Two-stage designs

An exploratory research is finished when the researchers have achieved the following:
• Established the major dimensions of the research task
• Defined a set of subsidiary investigative questions that can be used as a guide to a detailed research design.
• Developed several hypotheses about possible causes of a management dilemma. Learned that certain other hypotheses are such remote possibilities that they can be safely ignored in any subsequent study.
• Concluded additional research is not needed or is not feasible.

(viii) Descriptive Studies
It is the process of collecting data in order to test hypotheses or to answer questions concerning the current status of the subjects in the study. It determines and reports the way things are. Provides answers to questions like Who? What? When? Where? How? It attempts to describe such things as possible behaviour, attitudes, values and characteristics.
(ix) Causal Research
It is used to explore relationships between variables. It determines reasons or causes for the current status of the phenomenon under study. The variables of interest cannot be manipulated unlike in experimental research.
Advantages of causal study
• Allows a comparison of groups without having to manipulate the independent variables
• It can be done solely to identify variables worthy of experimental investigation
• They are relatively cheap.
Disadvantages of causal study
• Interpretations are limited because the researcher does not know whether a particular variable is a cause or result of a behaviour being studied.
• There may be a third variable which could be affecting the established relationship but which may not be established in the study.

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maurice.mutuku answered the question on October 3, 2019 at 09:14