RESEARCH DESIGN

By Vaibhav Pandey Pandey.baibhav@gmail.com Under graduating student Research coordinator Nepal engineering college

Outline

What is research design? A framework Activities of Project design A step-by-step approach Purpose of research design

What is research design?

A plan, structure and strategy of investigation to obtain answers to the research questions. E.g., Designing as painting:
Work in all areas of canvas Shapes and colors in one section inspires another Sometimes step back, eyes half closed Ponder quality and harmony of the whole

A framework
Research design
Conceptual design
Research objective

Technical research design

Research material

Research framework
Research issue Definition of concepts

Research strategy
Research planning

Figure 1: overall picture of the research design

Verschuren.P, & Doorewaard H, Project design, designing a research project, Netherlands, 1999

Project design

Conceptual design
Logical design You wish to achieve in Determines what, why, and how much to study Use of concepts and relationships between them

Technical research design

Technical design When and where do research

Contd

Research objective: project context (sets of problems) and objective (solutions)

E.g., Context: departmental store having

problems with supply of goods. Problems like logistics, transport management, arrangements with suppliers, customer friendly etc Objective: to make recommendation towards solving problems by taking views, background of problems and suggested solutions to the problems.

Contd

Research framework: schematic and visualized rough representation of step

E.g., analysis of organizational literature on

logistics and steering on effectiveness, efficiency, and organizational change will give overview on key issues. With the overview you can map the opinion on problems and solutions by parties in an organization

Logistics &steering

Analysis list (parties A, B, C, D)

Results of analysis

overview of problems and analysis

Contd

Research issue: what kind of information needed and you need to formulate research questions

E.g., main similarities and differences of the opinion by

the parties on problems of efficiency with flow of goods and solutions to these problems?

Definitions of concepts: concepts come up that take central stage, determines the outlook of research project

E.g., Key concept is the logistics

Definitions of concepts: Logistics as the whole of flow of goods within individual department stores of the company and the way these flows are directed.

Contd

Research Material: list your options and pros and cons

E.g., interview the line mangers, to go through the files

and weekly reports of process controllers, feel much information can be obtained if you observe flow of goods of selected products yourself

Research strategy: set of decisions that concern the way in which to approach your research

E.g., to opt for case study strategy, as it is about analysis

of problems in one particular organization. Interviews, observations of flow of goods and study of documents to get insight of problems in all aspects

Contd

Research planning: practical part of research project and writing final report or research report

E.g., project assignment will take 25 weeks, 3 wks spent on research design. Framework of assignment consist interviewing, observations and 3 wks on doing 15 interviews, 10 days for systematizing and recording impressions, another 15 days for linking between interviews and observations, another 10 wks for analyzing all material and writing draft. Finally another 6 weeks to relate your findings to your theoretical framework and process all these to final draft in form thesis.

A step-by-step approach
1.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Explore project context and isolate research objectives Construct research framework to realize research objective Examine information and Determine key formulate into research issue concepts and tailor definitions Examine research material for research issue to get sound answer Determine research strategy to follow processing the answers to questions Design research plan to lay down the activities

Purpose of research design

To provide answers to research questions

Test hypothesis Test reliability

To control variance

Any constructive ideas to improve the methodology will be highly appreciated

Contact: Vaibhav Pandey Student of 3rd year, department of civil engineering Nepal engineering college E-mail: pandey.baibhav@gmail.com Mob: +977-9849525011

Thanks for your attention