RESEARCH DESIGN

Introduction:
Research design is a planning of detailed outline of whole research work
containing steps and process to be followed in the research which include how data
is to be collected, what instruments will be employed, how the instruments will be
used and the intended means for analyzing data collected.Research design provides a
direction to researcher so that he can precede the research work in a planned and
systematic manner.
Research Design is understood as a planning as to the method and technology to
be used in research. According to distinct nature, object and purpose of every
research their design may vary from one to another.
It is a mandatory step to be designed properly in order to undergo any research work.
Research design has linkages with research problem, objectives of research and
purposes thereof. Researcher must have a clear picture about research problem,
objective and purpose so that he can plan an appropriate and effective design to
proceed with research. Whether, design is proper and efficient in achieving objectives
of research would come to know after acting accordingly.
How to do any research is an independent choice of researcher. Since, unskilled and
inexperienced procedure may cause heavy risk. Otherwise secure way of doing study
is to follow some approved procedure which has been experienced by the previous
researchers. Therefore, the procedure suggested as safe, secure and reliable are more
trustworthy to be followed rather than inexperienced process and methods. Planning
of researcher to go with any procedure and method for researching his topic is called a
research designing.

1. Meaning & Nature of Research Design:

Research design denotes the research planning. A blue print of whole research
work is designed by the researcher. If man makes planning to perform any task
whether picnic, party, travelling, future planning, business planning or building
construction. Before initiating the task he plans or designs certain strategy to complete
the task from beginning till last. It includes certain steps, methods, tools and
techniques required for successful completion of such task. Similarly, research
planning is required before every research work.

A research design is a general plan or strategy for conducting a research study

to examine specific testable research questions of interest. The nature of the research
questions and hypotheses, the variables involved, the sample of participants, the
research settings, the data collection methods, and the data analysis methods are
factors that contribute to the selection of the appropriate research design. Thus, a
research design is the structure, or the blueprint, of research that guides the process of
research from the formulation of the research questions and hypotheses to reporting
the research findings. In designing any research study, the researcher should be
familiar with the basic steps of the research process that guide all types of
research designs. Also, the researcher should be familiar with a wide range of
research designs in order to choose the most appropriate design to answer the research
questions and hypotheses of interest.2 Length and complexity of research designs can
vary considerably, but any sound design will do the following things:3

1. Identify the research problem clearly and justify its selection, particularly
in relation to any valid alternative designs that could have been used,
2. Review and synthesize previously published literature associated with the
problem,
3. Clearly and explicitly specify hypotheses [i.e., research questions] central to
 the research problem
4. Effectively describe the data which will be necessary for an adequate test of
the hypotheses and explain how such data will be obtained, and
5. Describe the methods of analysis which will be applied to the data in
determining whether or not the hypotheses are true or false.
Basically, research design depends on following things as:
1. Nature of research problem
2. Objectives of research
3. Purposes of research
4. Limitations of research

2. Classification of Research Design:

Research design can be classified into two phases as:

1. Substantive design.
2. Procedural design

Substantive Research Design: The initial level of designing, ipso facto comes
into shape on the basis of nature of problem, objectives and purposes of
research, where researcher has no interference he has to proceed in the light of
objective satisfaction. He has no choice to use alternative techniques. According
to nature of the problem i.e., descriptive, diagnostic, remedial, comparative or
experimental research. In other words this is the foundation of every research.
Researcher has to be very keen and vigilant on this stage just to make him sure
whether the nature described by him accurately reflecting and appropriate to
objectives of research work.

Procedural design: After completion of first stage, under second stage of design
their procedure is opted in the light of purposes, resources and limitation of
research. Limitations may be as to time, fund and human resource etc. Research
procedures are not conclusively binding upon the researcher to follow a
particular method and procedure in his work. He has full freedom to choose his
own procedure suitable and convenient to him but should also be tested in the
light of object and purpose of research study. Saul Kripke said as “There is no
rule for how to apply a rule.” 4 After selection of problem and objectives have
been drawn properly, the researcher has to decide how to deal with the facts,
selection of research method, method of data collection, which statistical test to
be used, how to select sample size, selection of tools and technology of data
collection; he has to make a methodological value judgment. His subjective
interference plays a vital role because selection of particular procedure depends
on the purposes of research, skill of researcher, availability of resources and
limitations of research. While taking decision in this respect he has to be
attentive towards the objectives of research. Recklessness in opting the
procedural part may give the scope of error and impurity in study, for which
researcher would be answerable for erroneous results.

3. Object and purpose of Research Design:

Research design keeps their importance in research with certain objectives as-
1. It provides the basic shape to every research work, which reflects the nature of
problem and objectives thereof. On the basis of nature of research problem certain
research design is prepared. Sometimes, merely by looking into the designing, certain
anticipations can be made as to the research problem and their objectives. i.e.
Qualitative Research or quantitative research design.
2. Certain directions are given to the researcher that what procedure, techniques and
tools will be followed by him while data collection and their analysis. It avoids the
 situation of confusion or fix for taking appropriate decision under research work. In
the absence of clear research planning whole research may be chaotic. It would result
in loss and wastage of resources.
3. It provides procedural alternative choices to researcher to be selected according to
purpose and limitations of research. How, the aimed purpose can be immediately and
effectively achieved by the researcher in more economic and reliable way, it depends
on intellectual decision of researcher. Where objectives are limited so a sorter and
economy procedure is preferred for undergoing research rather than a comprehensive
objectives. Contrarily, where objectives are comprehensive but availability of
resources are limited in such cases a smart strategy is designed by the researcher to
fulfill the objectives within the available resources. Appropriate techniques and tools
are selected in the light of above consideration.
4. Research is designed after keeping the nature of data into consideration. What
method and tools would be appropriate and reliable in the matter shall be decided
according to nature of data, qualitative or quantitative.
5. It works as guiding principle and provide direction to opt certain tools and method on
every stage of research.
6. It provides order of research steps. This helps to researcher to complete study in
proper, systematic and orderly manner.

4. Steps of Research Process: (read)

1. Selection
of subject
12. for
research 2.
Prepration Formulation
& writing of Problem
of Research for
report Research
1 3. Review of
1. related
Interpretati concept
on and & theories,
generalisati Former
on of research
research report,
data. concern
literature
10. Testing Researc 4.
of Prepration
Hypothesis
h of working
Process hypothesis

9. Analysis 5. Selection
of of Means
collected and
Research methods
for
data
study
8. Execution 6.
of Prepration
research of
design. 7. Collection Research
of Reseach
design
data.

5. Kinds of Research Design-

The function of a research design is to ensure that the evidence obtained enables us to
answer the initial question as unambiguously as possible. Obtaining relevant evidence
entails specifying the type of evidence needed to answer the research question, to test a
theory, to evaluate a programme or to accurately describe some phenomenon. In other
words, when designing research we need to ask: given this research question (or
theory), what type of evidence is needed to answer the question (or test the theory) in a
convincing way?On the basis of nature of data required in legal research its design can
be classified on the basis of nature of inquiry and nature of data as:
i. Qualitative & Quantitative Research.
ii. Doctrinal & Empirical Research.
 Doctrinal & Empirical Research Design –
Legal researches can be classified on the basis of nature of data intended to be used in
research. This classification can be made doctrinal and empirical research methods. Every
method has their own advantages and disadvantages. What method ought to be used? It
depends on the aims of the study and the nature of the phenomenon:

Doctrinal Research: Doctrinal research aims to systematize, rectify and clarify

the question or problem on any particular topic relating to law by a distinctive
mode of analysis to authoritative texts that consists of primary and secondary
sources. Doctrinal research is known as library based research focusing on a
reading and analysis of the primary data (such as the legislation and case law)
and secondary data (such as legal glossaries, text books, journals, articles, case
digests and legal encyclopedias) are regarded as the most accepted research
paradigm. When reviewing a number of textbooks on legal research the bulk of
their contents are concerned with identifying and analyzing factual material
and legal issues.The main assumption of using data from ‘authoritative text’ is
that the character of legal scholarship is derived from law itself.15 Nature of
data admitted for doctrinal research is always in text form.

Empirical Research: Empirical research is also known as Non-doctrinal

research and Socio-legal research. In socio-legal studies, the researcher has to
study law with interdisciplinary approach. Understanding of social facts cannot
be developingwithout investigation of real social condition.
Traditional concept of studying legal principles within the authoritative text and
informative sources has no significance in studying social variables. Researcher is required to
observe and analyze the social phenomenon by using significant tools of data collection. In
empirical research sources of data can come from a wide range of sources including surveys,
observation method, questionnaire and interview schedules etc.

It can thus be said that Research design situates the researcher in the
empirical world, and connects the research questions to data. The research design is
the basic plan for a piece of research; it includes four main ideas as-
1. Strategy
2. Conceptual framework
3. Question of what and how will be studied
4. Tools and techniques used for collecting and analyzing empirical materials.