KTEE206
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY FOR
ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS
Instructor: MSc. Nguyen Thuy Quynh
Research Methodology and Economics Forecasts Division
Faculty of International Economics
CHAPTER 4:
RESEARCH DESIGN
THE RESEARCH ONION
CHAPTER 4 CONTENTS
4.1. Introduction to research design
4.2. Methodological choice
4.3. Choosing a research strategy or strategies
4.4. Choosing a time horizon
4.5. Establishing the quality of research design
4.1. INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH DESIGN
• Research design is the general plan of how a researcher will go about
answering your research question(s).
• It will
✓contain clear objectives derived from your research question(s),
✓specify the sources from which you intend to collect data, how you
propose to collect and analyze these,
✓discuss ethical issues and the constraints you will inevitably
encounter (e.g. access to data, time, location and money).
• Research design plays an important role in the research process. The
clearer the study design, the higher the feasibility of the study.
Before constructing the research design
Be clear about:
1. Research ideas and problems
2. Literature review
3. Research objectives and research questions
4. Research hypothesis (for quantitative research): The research
hypothesis is the tentative answer to the research question.
4.2. METHODOLOGICAL CHOICE
• Whether to use quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods design
4.2. METHODOLOGICAL CHOICE
• Quantitative research is used if we are interested in quantifying the
extent (magnitude) of a problem, situation, issue or phenomenon.
✓It is applicable to phenomena that can be expressed in terms of
quantity.
• Qualitative research, on the other hand, is concerned with qualitative
phenomenon, i.e., phenomena relating to or involving quality or kind.
✓Reasons/motives for human behavior (i.e., why people think or do
certain things)
✓How people feel or what they think about a particular subject or
institution
4.2. METHODOLOGICAL CHOICE
Quantitative method design
Qualitative method design
Research
philosophy
Positivism
Interpretivism
Approach to theory
development
usually associated with a deductive approach inductive approach
abductive approach
Characteristics
• examines relationships between variables, • studies participants’ meanings and the
which are measured numerically and
relationships between them, using a variety of
analyzed using a range of statistical and
data collection techniques and analytical
graphical techniques.
procedures, to develop a conceptual
• often uses probability sampling
framework and theoretical contribution
techniques to ensure generalizability
• use non-probability sampling techniques
• The researcher is seen as independent
• Researcher is generally recognized as not
from those being researched
being independent from those being
(respondents)
researched (participants/ informants)
Research Strategies
experimental and survey
action research, case study research, ethnography,
Grounded Theory and narrative research
4.2. METHODOLOGICAL CHOICE
• Mixed methods research design combines the use of quantitative and
qualitative data collection techniques and analytical procedures.
• Philosophy: critical realism and pragmatism.
• Approach to theory development: deductive, inductive or abductive
approach
MIXED METHODS RESEARCH DESIGNS
4.3. CHOOSING A RESEARCH STRATEGY OR
STRATEGIES
• A research strategy is a plan of how a researcher will go about
answering her/ his research question.
• Some research strategies:
• research question(s) and
➢Experiment;
objectives,
➢Survey;
• the coherence with research
➢Archival and Documentary Research;
philosophy and research
➢Case Study;
approach,
➢Ethnography;
• the extent of existing
➢Action Research;
knowledge,
➢Grounded Theory;
• the amount of time and
➢Narrative Inquiry.
other resources available
4.3.1. EXPERIMENT
• The purpose of an experiment is to study the probability of a change in
an independent variable causing a change in another, dependent
variable.
• An experiment uses predictions, known as hypotheses, anticipating
whether or not a relationship will exist between the variables
✓Null hypothesis predicts that there will not be a significant
difference or relationship between the variables
✓Alternative hypothesis predicts that there may be a significant
difference or relationship between the variables
TYPES OF VARIABLE
TYPES OF VARIABLE
4.3.1. EXPERIMENT
• Some experimental designs:
➢Classical experiment
➢Quasi-experiment
➢Within-subjects experiment
CLASSICAL EXPERIMENT
• A sample of participants is selected and then randomly assigned to either an
experimental group or to the control group.
➢experimental group: some form of planned intervention or manipulation will be
tested.
➢control group: no such intervention
• Assumptions: each group should be similar in all aspects relevant to the
research => the intervention is the only explanation for any changes to the
dependent variable.
• The dependent variable is measured after the manipulation of the
independent variable for both the experimental group and the control group,
so that a pre-test and post-test comparison can be made.
CLASSICAL EXPERIMENT
QUASI-EXPERIMENT
• A quasi-experiment will still use an experimental group(s) and a control
group, but the researcher will not randomly assign participants to each
group.
➢Matched pair analysis leads to a participant in an experimental group
being paired with a participant in the control group based on matching
factors (relevant to the nature of the experiment) to try to minimize the
effect of extraneous variables on the
experiment’s outcomes.
➢For example: test the impact of promotion campaigns (buy one get one
free, discount cards…) on consumer behavior
✓Each participant in the experiment group is paired with a participant
in the control group based on matching factors such as income level,
age, gender, occupation…
WITHIN-SUBJECTS EXPERIMENT
• Only a single group - every participant is exposed to the planned
intervention or series of interventions.
• Repeated measures:
Pre-intervention observation
or measurement
Planned
intervention and
subsequent
observation and
measurement
Withdrawal of
the intervention
and a period of
‘reversal’
Further planned
intervention
followed by
subsequent
observation and
measurement
• A within-subject design requires fewer participants,
• Carryover effects: familiarity or fatigue with the process distorts the
validity of the findings.
4.3.1. EXPERIMENT
High
Internal Validity: The extent to which the
findings can be attributed to the interventions
rather than any flaws in your research design.
Low
External Validity: The extent to which
the findings from a laboratory
experiment can be generalized to all
organizations.
4.3.2. SURVEY
Forms of survey:
• Questionnaire
➢The collection of standardized data from a sizeable population in a highly
economical way
• Structured observation
➢Quantify behavior: how often things happen (rather than why they happen).
• Structured interview
➢Interviewers physically meet respondents and ask the questions face-to-face.
➢There is a defined schedule of questions from which interviewers should not
deviate.
4.3.2. SURVEY
• The survey strategy is usually associated with a deductive research
approach.
• It collects quantitative data which you can analyze quantitatively using
descriptive and inferential statistics.
• Provide more control over the research process and it is possible to
generate findings that are representative of the whole population.
• The data collected using a survey strategy is unlikely to be as wideranging as those collected by other research strategies.
4.3.3. ARCHIVAL AND DOCUMENTARY RESEARCH
• Makes use of administrative records and documents as the principal
source of data.
• Those data are a product of day-to-day activities.
✓They are part of the reality being studied rather than having been
collected originally as data for research purposes.
• An archival research strategy allows research questions that focus on the
past and changes over time to be answered.
4.3.3. ARCHIVAL AND DOCUMENTARY RESEARCH
• Categories of textual documents include:
• Visual and audio sources include advertising posters, artifacts, audio
recordings, audio-visual corporate communications, digital recordings,
DVDs, films, photographs, products, promotional advertisements and
recordings, television and radio programs and web images.
4.3.4. CASE STUDY
• Case study is a strategy for doing research that involves an empirical
investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its reallife context using multiple sources of evidence. (Robson, 2002)
✓This is the complete opposite of the experimental strategy, where
the research is undertaken within a highly controlled context.
✓It also differs from the survey strategy, where the ability to explore
and understand this context is limited by the number of variables
for which data can be collected.
• Used if you wish to gain a rich understanding of the context of the
research and the processes being enacted (Morris and Wood 1991).
4.3.4. CASE STUDY
• The ‘case’ can be:
➢a person (e.g. a manager),
➢a group (e.g. a work team),
➢an organization (e.g. a business),
➢an association (e.g. a joint venture),
➢a change process (e.g. restructuring a company),
➢an event (e.g. an annual general meeting)
• The chosen one should represent a critical case or, alternatively, an
extreme or unique case.
• It also may be selected purposively because it is typical or because it
provides you with an opportunity to observe and analyze a phenomenon.
4.3.5. ETHNOGRAPHY
• Rooted firmly in the inductive approach. It emanates from the field of
anthropology.
• The purpose is to describe and explain the social world of the research
subjects.
• Very time-consuming and takes place over an extended period as the
researcher needs to immerse in the social world being researched.
• The research process needs to be flexible and responsive to change
since the researcher will constantly be developing new patterns of
thought about what is being observed.
4.3.5. ETHNOGRAPHY
• May be very appropriate if you wish to gain insights about a particular
context and better understand and interpret it from the perspective(s)
of those involved.
• Before commencing research using this strategy, you need to find a
setting that will enable you to answer your research question and meet
your research objectives and then negotiate full access.
• Subsequently you will need to build a high degree of trust with your
research participants and, finally, develop strategies to cope with being
a full-time member of the social context and a researcher.
4.3.6. ACTION RESEARCH
• Action Research is an emergent and iterative process of inquiry that is
designed to develop solutions to real organizational problems through
a participative and collaborative approach, which uses different forms
of knowledge, and which will have implications for participants and
the organization beyond the research project (Coghlan 2011; Coghlan
and Brannick 2014).
4.3.6. ACTION RESEARCH
5 Common
Themes of
Action
Research
Purpose of the Research
Research in action rather than
research about action
Involvement of Practitioners in
the Research
Collaboration between
practitioners and researchers
The iterative nature of the
process
Diagnosing, Planning, Taking
Action and Evaluating
Knowledge
Incorporate different form of
knowledge
Should have implications
beyond the immediate project
The results could inform other
contexts
THE ACTION RESEARCH SPIRAL
4.3.7. GROUNDED THEORY
• Grounded Theory – the development of a theory that is grounded in the
data.
• Adopting interpretivism: ‘Reality’ is seen as being socially constructed
through the meanings that social actors ascribe to their experiences.
The aim is to ‘discover’ or generate a theory grounded in the data
produced from the accounts of social actors.
• Concurrent collection and analysis of data
• Coding is the key element of Grounded Theory: developing codes and
categories from the data as these are collected and analyzed
4.3.7. GROUNDED THEORY
• ‘Theory Building’ through a combination of induction and deduction.
➢Data collection starts without the formation of an initial theoretical
framework.
➢Theory is developed from data generated by a series of
observations.
➢These data lead to the generation of predictions which are then
tested in further observations that may confirm, or otherwise, the
predictions.
4.4. CHOOSING A TIME HORIZON
• Cross-sectional Studies: the study of a particular phenomenon (or
phenomena) at a particular time, data is collected at one shot.
• Cross-sectional studies often employ the survey strategy.
✓Measuring the level of industry 4.0 readiness of enterprises
✓Impact of income on spending of individuals
• They may also use qualitative or mixed methods research strategies
✓Consumers’ responses to new features of a product/ service: in-depth
interview and/or focus group discussion.
✓Local characteristics that attract private investments:
▪ Interview with enterprises’ representatives and experts to explore the
characteristics
▪ EFA and regression model to measure the impact of the characteristics
on private investment attraction.
4.4. CHOOSING A TIME HORIZON
• Longitudinal Studies: the study of a particular phenomenon (or
phenomena) over a period, data is collected at multiple stages.
• The main strength of longitudinal research is its capacity to study
change and development.
• The use of secondary data makes longitudinal research more feasible
for projects with time constraints.
4.5. QUALITY OF RESEARCH DESIGN
• For natural science research and quantitative social science research:
➢Reliability: The extent to which your data collection techniques or
analysis procedures will yield consistent findings.
➢Validity: refers to the appropriateness of the measures used, accuracy
of the analysis of the results, and generalizability of the findings
✓Measurement validity: The measures being used in the research to
assess the phenomenon being studied actually measure what they
are intended to.
✓Internal validity
✓External validity
4.5. QUALITY OF RESEARCH DESIGN
For qualitative research based on interpretive assumptions:
➢Dependability (~ reliability): recording all of the changes to produce a
reliable/ dependable account of the emerging research focus that may be
understood and evaluated by others.
➢Credibility (~ internal validity): ensuring that the representations of the
research participants’ socially constructed realities actually match what the
participants intended.
➢Transferability (~ external validity): By providing a full description of the
research questions, design, context, findings, and interpretations, the
researcher provides the reader with the opportunity to judge the
transferability of the study to another setting in which the reader is
interested to research.