Research Methodology

LECTURE 2 – RESEARCH TYPES

&
RESEARCH DESIGNS

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 7/4/2023

 Learning Objectives
2

 After completing this chapter, the student

should be able to:
1. Identify the different types of research.
2. Be conversant with the broad categories of research
3. To understand what research design is and why it is
significant
4. Identify the different research designs

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 SECTION ONE
3

RESEARCH TYPES

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 Types of Research
4
▪ NOTE: several sources/books classify research in many
different ways.
▪ But, there are generally two types of research:
1. Basic Research (also known as Fundamental
Or Pure Research)
 Basic research focuses on improving one’s knowledge and
understanding about an underlying phenomena without
specific applications in mind.
 The main motivation is to expand man’s knowledge not to
create or invent something.
 E.g. A neuron-surgeon who studies the brain to learn
about its general workings is doing basic research.
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 Types of Research Cont’d
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2. Applied Research
 Systemic study to gain knowledge or
understanding designed to solve a practical
problem of the modern world, rather than to
acquire knowledge for ones sake.
 E.g. neurologist who is searching for the origins
of memory loss disease is involved in applied
research.
 An ICT final year student who implements
his/her project is also doing applied research.
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 Types of Research Cont’d
6

Other Research Types Include…

3. Quantitative Research
 Is based on the measurement of quantity or amount.
It is applicable to phenomena that can be expressed in
terms of quantity and uses statistical knowledge.
 Such observations and measurements can be made
objectively and repeated by other researchers.
 Quantitative research is more concerned with
questions about: how much? How many? How often?
To what extent? etc.
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 Types of Research Cont’d
7

4. Qualitative Research
 The study is classified as qualitative if the purpose of
the study is primarily to describe a situation,
phenomenon or event.
 Qualitative research attempts to increase our
understanding of why things are the way they are in
our social world and why people act the way they do.
 Qualitative research is concerned with finding the
answers to questions which begin with: Why? How? In
what way?
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 Types of Research Cont’d
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5. Explanatory Research
 Explains the cause of social phenomena, aimed at
establishing a relationship between variables. i.e.
how one is the cause of the other.
 For example;
 Explaining the relationship between technology
and marriage break ups.
 Explaining the relationship between drug abuse
and lack of family control.
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 Types of Research Cont’d
9

6. Comparative Research
 This type of research compares the similarity and
differences between two variables.

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 Categorization Of Research
10
 The above research types can either be primary or secondary;
1. PRIMARY RESEARCH
 This is a systematic process of gathering and recording data
from the first hand sources and sometimes referred to as field
research.
 It is used when researchers want to get first hand news and
data from the respondents, which will be useful in decision
making.
 Primary research involves collecting data about a given subject
directly from the real world.
 Sources of primary research include surveys, interviews,
observations, experiments etc.
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 Categorization Of Research
11
2. SECONDARY RESEARCH
 This is the process of gathering and recording data from
already published resources. It is where a researcher will
rely on other researchers findings throughout for the
specific research problem in order to get data for his
research.
 Sources of secondary research include journals,
magazines, newspapers, books, public library material,
research reports, internet inform of websites.
 NOTE: A good researcher knows how to use both primary
and secondary sources in his/her writing and to integrate
them in a cohesive fashion.
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 Categorization Of Research
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3. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
 Research is regarded to be scientific if there is a systematic
or structured way of carrying out the research
investigations.
 This implies that in order to carry out such research, you
have a formal procedure/process/method in place that you
are following to come up with the results of your research.
 An example of such a procedure can be: collection of data
through observation, interviews or experimentation,
followed by formulation of
hypotheses/propositions/assumptions that you later test to
determine if they are right or wrong.
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 SECTION TWO
13

RESEARCH
DESIGNS

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 What is Research Design?
14

 Research design is a set of advance decisions that

make up the master plan, specifying the methods
and procedures for collecting and analyzing the
needed information.
 Good research design is the “first rule of good
research.”
 Knowledge of the needed research design allows
advance planning so that the project may be
conducted in less time and typically at a cost savings
due to efficiencies gained in preplanning.
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 Objectives of Research Design
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 Key elements of a Research Design include:
 Purpose statement
 Techniques for data collection

 Methods for research analysis

 Probable objections to conducting research

 Research study settings

 Timeline

 Analysis measurement

 The following are the major research designs that

we have in the field of research:
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 Types of Research Designs
1. Exploratory Research
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 Exploratory research is usually conducted at the

outset (initial) of research projects.
 It is usually conducted when the researcher does not
know much about the problems.
Uses of Exploratory Research
 Gain background information
 Define terms
 Clarify problems and hypothesis
 Establish research priorities
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 Exploratory Research Data Collection
Methods
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 1. Secondary data analysis: Is the process of searching

for interpreting existing information relevant to the
research topic
 2. Experience surveys: It refers to gathering information
from those to be knowledgeable on the issues relevant to
the research problem
 Key-informant technique: gathering information from
those thought to be knowledgeable on the issues relevant
to the problem
 Lead-user survey: used to acquire information from
lead users of a new technology
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 Exploratory Research Data Collection
Methods Cont’d…
18

 3. Case analysis: a review of available information about

a former situation(s) that has some similarities to the
current research problem
 4. Focus groups: small groups brought together and
guided by a moderator through an unstructured,
spontaneous discussion for the purpose of gaining
information relevant to the research problem

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 Types of Research Designs
2. Descriptive Research
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 Descriptive research is undertaken to describe

answers to questions of who, what, where, when, and
how.
 It is desirable when we wish to project a study’s
findings to a larger population, if the study’s sample
is representative.
Descriptive Research Classifications
 1. Cross-sectional studies
 2. Longitudinal studies
 3. Case studies
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 Types of Research Designs
2. Descriptive Research
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 1. Cross-sectional studies measure units from a

sample of the population at only one point in time
(or “snapshot”).
 Sample surveys are cross-sectional studies whose
samples are drawn in such a way as to be
representative of a specific population.
 These studies are usually presented with a margin
of error.

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 Types of Research Designs
2. Descriptive Research
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 2. Longitudinal studies repeatedly measure the

same sample units of a population over time.
 Since they involve multiple measurements over
time, they are often described as “movies” of the
population.

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 Types of Research Designs
2. Descriptive Research
 3.The case study is a descriptive investigation
that involves a one-time assessment of behavior.
 Case studies often involve qualitative descriptions
of behavior.
 Case studies may provide rich, descriptive
information about work behaviors and settings.
 Descriptive Design Data Collection
Methods
23

 In a descriptive research, the data is collected

through primary data collection methods such as
Case Studies, Observational Method,
Interviews, Questionnaires, and Surveys.

 This kind of data collection provides us with rich

information and can be used for future research as
well.

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 Types of Research Designs
3. Experimental Method
 The experimental method is a research design
characterized by a high degree of control over the
research setting to allow for the determination of
cause-and-effect relationships among variables.

 The defining features of experimentation are random

assignment of participants to groups and a
manipulated independent variable.
 Types of Research Designs
3. Experimental Method
 The Independent Variable (IV) is the variable that is
manipulated by the researcher using the
experimental method;
While…
 The Dependent Variable (DV) is the variable that is
acted upon by the independent variable (the
outcome variable).
 The primary advantage of the experimental method
is that it allows us to determine the cause-and-effect
relationships among variables.
 Types of Research Designs
3. Experimental Method
 The key to the success of the experimental method
is to hold all extraneous variables constant.
 Random assignment is a method of assigning
subjects to groups to control the effects of
extraneous variables.
 Another way to control for extraneous variables is
to conduct research in a laboratory setting.
 Examples of experimental research include:
Laboratory Experiment and Field Experiment
 Experimental Design Data
Collection Methods
 There are four major ways to collect data in
Experimental Design, which include:
 Surveys, Observation, Computer Simulation
and Experiment.
 Types of Research Designs
4. Quasi-Experiment

 Quasi-experiment is a research design that aims to

identify the impact of a particular intervention,
program or event (a "treatment") by comparing
treated units (households, groups, villages, schools,
firms, etc.) to control units.
 Quasi-experiments involve comparison of pre-existing
groups, where random assignment of participants to
groups is not possible.
 The unit of analysis might be the organization or
group, rather than the individual.
 Types of Research Designs
5. Correlational Method
 The correlational method is a research method that
examines the relationship between variables as they
occur naturally.
 The researcher observes two variables and
measures their statistical association with each
other.
 The main advantage is that correlational studies are
often easier to implement in a particular setting,
including the workplace.
 Types of Research Designs
6. Meta Analysis
 Meta-analysis is a technique that allows results from
several different research studies to be combined
and summarized.

 Meta-analyses typically rely on indicators of effect

size, or estimates of the magnitude of the
relationship or effect found in a research
investigation.
 Group Assignment
31

 Find out the Data Collection Methods for:

1. Quasi-experiment
2. Correlation Method

3. Meta Analysis

 Do the assignment in groups of 4 persons

 Submit the assignment as hard copy (hand
written or typed )
 Deadline is one week

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 Chapter Review Questions
32

1. Differentiate between basic research and applied

research.
2. Differentiate between primary and secondary research
and examine the need for each. Which one would you
recommend and why?
3. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for both
primary and secondary research.
4. Differentiate between qualitative and quantitative
research.
5. What is research design and Discuss the major
research designs
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 End Of Chapter Two
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THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

NEXT: LECTURE THREE:

THE RESEARCH PROCESS & THE CONCEPT
PAPER

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 7/4/2023