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Unit 1 BR

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MEANING OF RESEARCH DESIGN The formidable problem that follows the task of defining the research problem is the

preparation of the design of the research project, popularly known as the research design. Decisions regarding what, where, when, how much, by what means concerning an inquiry or a research study constitute a research design. A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with economy in procedure. More explicitly, the design decisions happen to be in respect of: 1. What is the study about? 2. Why is the study being made? 3. Where will the study be carried out? 4. What type of data is required? 5. Where can the required data be found? 6. What periods of time will the study include? 7. What will be the sample design? 8. What techniques of data collection will be used? 9. How will the data be analyzed? 10. In what style will the report be prepared? Keeping in view the above stated design decisions; one may split the overall research design into the following parts: (a) The sampling design which deals with the method of selecting items to be observed for the given study; (b) the observational design which relates to the conditions under which the observations are to be made;

(c) the statistical design which concerns with the question of how many items are to be observed and how the information and data gathered are to be analyzed; and (d) The operational design which deals with the techniques by which the procedures specified in the sampling, statistical and observational designs can be carried out. FEATURES OF A GOOD DESIGN A good design is often characterized by adjectives like flexible, appropriate, efficient, and economical and so on. Generally, the design which minimizes bias and maximizes the reliability of the data collected and analyzed is considered a good design. The design which gives the smallest experimental error is supposed to be the best design in many investigations. Similarly, a design which yields maximal information and provides an opportunity for considering many different aspects of a problem is considered most appropriate and efficient design in respect of many research problems. Thus, the question of good design is related to the purpose or objective of the research problem and also with the nature of the problem to be studied. A design may be quite suitable in one case, but may be found wanting in one respect or the other in the context of some other research problem. One single design cannot serve the purpose of all types of research problems.

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