RESEARCH DESIGN
AND
TYPES OF VARIABLES
INTRODUCTION
 We have seen that research needs to be organised
and systematic. Research Design is a step towards
carrying out research in a way.
Research is an important activity affecting the
society as a whole therefore, it involves a lot of
decision making
It provides a structure and shape to the research
project. After finalising the topic, you decide about
how you are going to conduct your study. It involves
formulation of strategy for all the stages starting from
formulation of hypotheses to the analysis of data.
Thyer has defined research design as a blueprint or
detailed plan for a research study – starting from
operationalising variables so that they can be
measured, to selecting a sample of interest to study,
collecting data to be used as a basis for testing
hypotheses , and finally analyzing the results.
OBJECTIVES
 AFTER READING THIS UNIT, YOU WILL BE ABLE
TO :
 What is Research Design?
 Need and Purpose
 Functions
 Types
 Techniques
 Summary
RESEARCH DESIGN
 Research design refers to the overall strategy or plan
for conducting a research study. It outlines the
methods and procedures that will be used to collect
and analyze data, as well as the strategies for
interpreting and presenting the findings.
Needs
Research is a systematic endeavour towards quest for new
knowledge. The word systematic is important and needs
clarification. Studying informally and casually may also
yield new knowledge but that is not research. In research,
organised efforts are put right from thinking of a topic to
the presentation of results. The magnitude of the study and
the efforts involved require systematisation. Research also
involves spending public money therefore, it requires
proper planning for effectiveness and efficiency. The
methods and techniques involved in data collection and
analysis may involve subjectivity. Adequate planning needs
to be done to minimise this subjectivity. Validity is another
important issue for which a proper design is required.
Validity ensures that what we are measuring is what we
intend to measure.
Purpose of research design
 The purpose of a research design is to provide information
regarding:
 What is the study?
 Why is the study being carried out?
 Where will the study be carried out?
 How will the study be carried out?
 What will be the processes and tasks involved?
 What will be the data?
 How will the data be collected?
 What methods of sampling will be used? and
 How will the analysis be done?
Functions
 Research design plays several important functions in any
research study . Here are some of the key function :
 1. helps to specify research questions and objectives: a well
designed research plan helps to clarify the research
questions and objectives, which in turn guides the research
process.
 2. determines the appropriate research methodology : the
research design helps to determine the most appropriate
research methodology to be used in a study , such as
qualitative or quantitative research, or a mixed methods
approach.
 3. defines the sampling strategy: the research design helps
to define the sampling strategy, which is the process of
selecting a subset of individuals or units from a larger
population for the purpose of conducting a study.
 4. ensures reliability and validity of the study is reliable
and valid, meaning that the results are accurate and can be
generalized to the larger population.
 5. guides data collection and analysis: the research design
guides the process of data collection methods and the
appropriate statistical techniques to be used for data
analysis .
 6. facilitates replication of the study : a well designed
research plan facilitates the replication of the study by
other researchers, which can help to validate the findings
and build on the knowledge generated by the study.
TYPES AND TECHNIQUES OF
RESEARCH DESIGN
 There are various types of research designs, each
suited for different research questions and objectives.
Here are some of the most common types:
1. Experimental design:- this type of research design
involves manipulating one or more variables to
observe the effect on the dependent variable. It is
used to established cause and effect relationships
between variables.
2. Quasi experimental design:- similar to experimental
 Design, but without random assignment of
participants to groups. This design is often used when
random assignment is not feasible or ethical.
3. Correlation design:- this type of research design
involves measuring the strength and direction of the
relationship between two or more variables. It is useful
when trying to establish whether there is a
relationship between two variables, but it does not
establish causation.
4. Survey design:- this type of research design involves
collecting data through questionnaires, interviews or
surveys. It is useful for gathering information on
attitudes , beliefs, behaviours, and demographics.
5. Case study design:- this type of research design
involves studying a single person, group, or situation in
depth. It is useful for exploring complex and unique
phenomena.
SUMMARY
 In this , we discussed the concept of research design.
Research design is the blueprint of your research work.
After a discussion of the need and purpose, its
functions are discussed. There are different kinds and
techniques of research designs also studied in this
unit.
TYPES OF VARIABLES
In research , variables are characteristics or properties
that can vary or change . There are several types of
variables that are commonly used in research,
including :
Nominal variables : nominal variables are those that
are used to name or identify different categories . For
example, hair color or blood type.
2. . Ordinal variables : ordinal variables are those that
have a natural order or ranking. For example,
educational level or job title .
1.
 3. dependent variables : dependent variables are those that
are being measured in the study . They are dependent on
the independent variable and are expected to change as a
result of the manipulation of the independent variable. In
the example above, the dependent variable would be the
level of alertness of the participant .
 4. independent variables: independent variable are those
that are manipulated or changed by the researcher in order
to see the effect they have on the dependent variable. For
example , if a researcher is studying the effects of caffeine
on alertness, the amount of caffeine given to the
participant .
 5. control variable : control variables are those that are
held constant throughout the study in order to prevent
them from influencing the results. For example , in the
caffeine study , the researcher might control for factors
such as the time of the day , the participants sleep
habits, and their overall health .
 6. continuous variables: continuous variables are those
that can take on any value within a range. For example
, age and weight are continuous variables.
REFERENCES: Kothari, C.R. (2004). Research Methodology: Methods
and Techniques. 2nd ed Delhi: New Age
 Creswell, j.w.(2014).research design: qualitative,
quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage
publications.
 Leedy,p.d.,and ormrod,J.E.(2014). Practical research :
planning and design. Pearson.
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