Types of Basic Research Design

• Exploratory • “discovery”
And
• Conclusive
• Descriptive • “relationships”
• Causal • “cause-and-effect”
• Exploratory Research
• Causal Research
• Descriptive Research
 Exploratory research
• As the term suggests, exploratory research
design deals with exploring into the
phenomenon.
• Exploratory research is defined as a research
used to investigate a problem which is not
clearly defined.
• It is conducted to have a better
understanding of the existing problem, but
will not provide conclusive results.
• For such a research, a researcher starts with a
general idea and uses this research as a
medium to identify issues, that can be the
focus for future research.
• In case of marketing research, it is used in
cases when the problem must be defined
more precisely, and to gain additional
insights before an approach can be
developed.
• It is not used most times to generate a course
of action for decision making.
• An important aspect here is that the
researcher should be willing to change
his/her direction subject to the
revelation/exposure of new data or insight.
• Such a research is usually carried out when
the problem is at a preliminary stage.
• It is often referred to as grounded theory
approach or interpretive research as it used
to answer questions like what, why and how.
• Among all the three classified research
designs above,
• Exploratory research designs incorporates the
least amount of scientific method and rigour
because of aims and structure.
• Some examples of exploratory research designs
include
• Literature review,
• Experience Survey,
• focus groups,
• Case Study,
• In-depth interviews,
• Online
• Interview, and
• projective techniques.
 For example:
• Consider a scenario where a juice bar owner
feels that increasing the variety of juices will
enable increase in customers, however he is
not sure and needs more information.
• The owner intends to carry out an exploratory
research to find out if expanding their juices
selection will enable him to get more
customers of if there is a better idea.
• At the exploratory design stage, the
information is loosely defined
• Exploratory research design focuses on
collecting either secondary or primary data
using an unstructured format or informal
procedures to interpret them.
 Types and methodologies of
Exploratory research
• While it may sound a little difficult to research
something that has very little information
about it, there are several methods which can
help a researcher figure out the best research
design, data collection methods and choice of
subjects.
• There are two ways in which research can be
conducted namely
• primary and secondary.. Under these two
types, there are multiple methods which can
used by a researcher.
• The data gathered from these research can
be qualitative or quantitative.
• Some of the most widely used research
designs include the following:
 Secondary research methods

• Secondary research is gathering information

from previously published primary research.
In such a research you gather information
from sources likes case studies, magazines,
newspapers, books, etc.
 Literature research
• Literature research is one of the most
inexpensive method used for discovering a
hypothesis.
• There is tremendous amount of information
available in libraries, online sources, or even
commercial databases.
• Sources can include newspapers, magazines,
books from library, documents from
government agencies, specific topic related
articles, literature, Annual reports, published
statistics from research organisations.
• However, a few things have to be kept in
mind while researching from these sources.
• Government agencies have authentic
information but sometimes may come with a
nominal cost.
• Also, research from educational institutions is
generally overlooked, but in fact educational
institutions carry out more number of
research than any other entities.
• Furthermore, commercial sources provide
information on major topics like political
agendas, demographics, financial
information, market trends and information,
etc.
• For example: A company has low sales. It can
be easily explored from available statistics and
market literature if the problem is market
related or organisation related or if the topic
being studied is regarding financial situation
of the country,
• then research data can be accessed through
government documents or commercial
sources.
• Case study research: Case study research can
help a researcher with finding more
information through carefully analyzing
existing cases which have gone through a
similar problem.
• Such analysis are very important and critical
especially in today’s business world.
• The researcher just needs to make sure he
analyses the case carefully in regards to all
the variables present in the previous case
against his own case.
• It is very commonly used by business
organisations or social sciences sector or even
in the health sector.
• For example: A particular orthopedic surgeon
has the highest success rate for performing
knee surgeries.
• A lot of other hospitals or doctors have taken
up this case to understand and benchmark the
method in which this surgeon does the
procedure to increase their success rate.
 Primary research methods
• Primary research is information gathered directly
from the subject.
• It can be through a group of people or even an
individual.
• Such a research can be carried out directly by the
researcher himself or can employ a third party to
conduct it on their behalf.
• Primary research is specifically carried out to
explore a certain problem which requires an in-
depth study.
 Experience Surveys/polls
• Surveys/polls are used to gather information
from a predefined group of respondents.
• It is one of the most important quantitative
method.
• Various types of surveys or polls can be used
to explore opinions, trends, etc. With the
advancement in technology, surveys can now
be sent online and can be very easy to access
• . For instance, use of a survey app through
tablets, laptops or even mobile phones.
• This information is also available to the
researcher in real time as well.
• Nowadays, most organisations offer short
length surveys and rewards to respondents, in
order to achieve higher response rates.
• For example: A survey is sent to a given set of
audience to understand their opinions about
the size of mobile phones when they purchase
one.
• Based on such information organisation can
dig deeper into the topic and make business
related decision.
 Focus groups
• Focus group is yet another widely used
method in exploratory research.
• In such a method a group of people is chosen
and are allowed to express their insights on
the topic that is being studied.
• Although, it is important to make sure that
while choosing the individuals in a focus group
they should have a common background and
have comparable experiences.
• For example: A focus group helps a research
identify the opinions of consumers if they were to
buy a phone.
• Such a research can help the researcher
understand what the consumer value while
buying a phone.
• It may be screen size, brand value or even the
dimensions.
• Based on which the organization can understand
what are consumer buying attitudes, consumer
opinions, etc.
 Online research:
• In today’s world, this is one of the fastest way
to gather information on any topic.
• A lot of data is readily available on the
internet and the researcher can download it
whenever he needs it.
• An important aspect to be noted for such a
research is the genuineness and authenticity
of the source websites that the researcher is
gathering the information from.
• For example: A researcher needs to find out
what is the percentage of people that prefer a
specific brand phone.
• The researcher just enters the information he
needs in a search engine and gets multiple
links with related information and statistics.
 Interviews:
• While you may get a lot of information
from public sources, but sometimes an in
person interview can give in-depth
information on the subject being studied.
• Such a research is a qualitative research
method.
• An interview with a subject matter expert can
give you meaningful insights that a
generalized public source won’t be able to
provide.
• Interviews are carried out in person or on
telephone which have open-ended questions
to get meaningful information about the topic.
• For example: An interview with an employee
can give you more insights to find out the
degree of job satisfaction, or an interview with
a subject matter expert of quantum theory
can give you in-depth information on that
topic.
 Exploratory research: Steps to
conduct a research
• Identify the problem: A researcher identifies
the subject of research and the problem is
addressed by carrying out multiple methods
to answer the questions.
• Create the hypothesis: When the researcher
has found out that there are no prior studies
and the problem is not precisely resolved,
• the researcher will create a hypothesis based
on the questions obtained while identifying
the problem.
• Further research: Once the data has been
obtained, the researcher will continue his
study through descriptive investigation.
• Qualitative methods are used to further study
the subject in detail and find out if the
information is true or not.
 Characteristics of Exploratory
research
• They are not structured studies
• It is usually low cost, interactive and open
ended.
• It will enable a researcher answer questions
like what is the problem?
• What is the purpose of the study?
• And what topics could be studied?
• To carry out exploratory research, generally
there is no prior research done or the existing
ones do not answer the problem precisely
enough.
• It is a time consuming research and it needs
patience and has risks associated with it.
• The researcher will have to go through all the
information available for the particular study
he is doing.
• There are no set of rules to carry out the
research per se, as they are flexible, broad and
scattered.
• The research needs to have importance or
value. If the problem is not important in the
industry the research carried out is ineffective.
• The research should also have a few theories
which can support its findings as that will
make it easier for the researcher to assess it
and move ahead in his study
• Such a research usually produces qualitative
data, however in certain cases quantitative
data can be generalized for a larger sample
through use of surveys and experiments.
 Advantages of Exploratory research

• The researcher has a lot of flexibility and can

adapt to changes as the research progresses.
• It is usually low cost.
• It helps lay the foundation of a research,
which can lead to further research.
• It enables the researcher understand at an
early stage, if the topic is worth investing the
time and resources and if it is worth pursuing.
• It can assist other researchers to find out
possible causes for the problem, which can be
further studied in detail to find out, which of
them is the most likely cause for the problem.
 Disadvantages of Exploratory
research
• Even though it can point you in the right
direction towards what is the answer, it is
usually inconclusive.
• The main disadvantage of exploratory
research is that they provide qualitative data.
Interpretation of such information can be
judgmental and biased.
• Most of the times, exploratory research
involves a smaller sample, hence the results
cannot be accurately interpreted for a
generalized population.
• Many a times, if the data is being collected
through secondary research, then there is a
chance of that data being old and is not
updated.
 Importance of Exploratory research

• Exploratory research is carried out when a

topic needs to be understood in depth,
especially if it hasn’t been done before.
• The goal of such a research is to explore the
problem and around it and not actually derive
a conclusion from it.
• Such kind of research will enable a researcher
to set a strong foundation for exploring his
ideas, choosing the right research design and
finding variables that actually are important
for the analysis.
• Most importantly, such a research can help
organisations or researchers save up a lot of
time and resources, as it will enable the
researcher to know if it worth pursuing.
• Types of Basic Research Design1. Descriptive
Design
• Most common method used in researches.
• used when the purpose of the study is to
inquire about the prevailing conditions of
events, objects or people.
• The method describes “what is” in relation to
the variables under consideration.
• Types of Basic Research Design
• Characteristics of Descriptive Research
• 1. It ascertains prevailing conditions of facts in a
group or case study.
• 2. It gives either a quantitative or qualitative, or
both, description of the general characteristics of
the group or case under study.
• 3. What caused the prevailing conditions is not
emphasized
• Types of Basic Research Design Characteristics of
Descriptive Research
• 4. The study of conditions at different periods of time
may be made and the change that took place between
the periods may be evaluated for any value it gives.
• 5. Comparison of the characteristics of two groups may
be made to determine their similarities and
differences.
• 6. The variables involved in the study are not usually
controlled.
• 7. Studies on prevailing conditions may or can be
repeated for purposes of comparison and verification.
• 27. Types of Descriptive Design 1. Exploratory
Descriptive Design 2. Descriptive Survey
Design 3. Correlational Design 4. Comparative
Design 5. Case study 6. Fasibility Study
• 28.
• Types of Descriptive Design1. Exploratory
Descriptive Design• This provides an in-depth
exploration of a single process, variables, or
concept.• The word “exploratory” indicates
that not much is known• means that a survey
of the literature failed to reveal any significant
research in the area.
 In-depth interviews
• In-depth interviews are an unstructured and
direct technique of obtaining insights in which a
single respondent is probed by a skilled
interviewer to uncover underlying motivations,
beliefs, attitudes and feelings on the topic of
enquiry.
• It endeavours to understand the nature and
make-up of the area being researched, rather
than precise measurement.
• In-depth interviews can last from 30 minutes to 2
hours and can provide ample information.
• This technique allows the researcher to collect
both attitudinal and behavioural data from the
respondent from all time frames (past, present
and future).
• 20 A unique characteristic of this technique is
that the interviewer has ample chance at probing
the respondent and collect indepth data.
• The interviewer can use the answers provided by
respondent and turn them into related questions
ensuring a more detailed answer.
• In recent years, three in-depth interviewing
techniques have gained popularity among
researchers. They are (a) laddering, (b) hidden
test questioning and (c) symbolic analysis.21 In
laddering, the line of questioning proceeds from
product characteristics to user characteristics.
This technique allows the researcher to tap into
the customer’s network of meanings and
provides an effective way to probe into
customer’s deep psychological and emotional
reasons that affect their purchase behaviour
• . Laddering is useful in developing ‘mind map’ of
a consumer’s view towards the targeted product.
• Several such consumer mind maps when
combined together can provide detailed insights
relating to underlying motivations and behaviour
of a group of consumers and can help form a
decision for a manager.
• The second technique, hidden test questioning,
focuses on not just socially shared values but also
personal concerns of a consumer.
• This kind of questioning can lead to unravel much
deeply felt beliefs rather than general lifestyle
and attitude of consumers.
• As the name suggests, symbolic analysis,
attempts to analyse the symbolic meanings
consumers associate with products.
• In this technique researchers use deductive logic
and attempt to understand the meaning in the
consumer’s mind by comparing the product or
idea with its opposite
• . For example, researcher may ask a consumer
what a certain product is not and by asking
such question limit the scope of discussion
and symbolic meaning may appear. As one can
gauge from the above discussion that these
techniques of in-depth interviewing
compliment each other. In most in-depth
interviews these techniques are used together
rather than in isolation.
• For example, asking a question such as ‘what
do you think people feel about brand X?’
(laddering question) can lead to a question
‘what do you feel about brand X personally?’
(hidden test questioning). This questions in
turn may lead to another question such as ‘if
brand X was an animal what would it be and
why?’ (symbolic analysis).
• As the questions asked in this technique of
data collection are probing, unstructured and
connected, an interviewer must possess
excellent interpersonal communication,
listening, probing and interpretive skills. The
interviewer’s role is critical to the success of
the in-depth interview.
• If conducted in correct manner, in-depth
interviews provide researcher the flexibility,
large amount of data collection from a single
respondent and reveal much hidden attitudes,
motivations, feelings and behaviour. However,
as discussed earlier the data collected are
subject to the same general limitations of
exploratory methods. Although the
• data generated is large, the lack of structure
makes the results less generalizable to a wider
population (as it is a single respondent’s view).
Furthermore, it is not easy to find expert
indepth interviewers and because it is a one-
to-one interaction cost and time involved in
conducting and analysing is higher than most
other techniques.
 2.4.2 Focus groups
• Focus groups are one of the most popular qualitative
research methods used around the world.
• Many times researchers and managers use the term
focus groups to define qualitative research.
• 22 Focus group is a formalized process of bringing a
small group of people together for an interactive,
informal and spontaneous discussion on a particular
topic or concept.
• A focus group generally involves eight to twelve
participants and can capture vast array of information.
• .
• The focus groups timing can vary from 1 to 3
hours and is usually conducted in a congenial
surrounding such as a hotel or specialist focus
group research facility.
• By getting the group members to talk at length
about the topic, the moderator can gather
vast amount of information on ideas,
attitudes, feelings and experiences about a
particular issue.
• Focus groups are usually constructed using
similar participants to encourage positive
discussion.
• The advantage of selecting participants from the
same demographics (age, income, gender and
such other variables are called demographics)
helps ensure that group members feel at ease
with each other.
• It is believed that people with similar
characteristics are more like to divulge their
opinions in a group.
• However, in some cases a diverse group can
also be selected to encourage a wider
viewpoint relating to a concept or product.
• This is an extremely important issue as it is
hard to control group dynamics when more
than 12 people are involved in a discussion.
• Focus groups are conducted for variety of
different objectives.
• For example they may be conducted for:
• a) Understanding the effect of an
advertisement prior launch on the target
market
• b) Launching new products or services in an
existing or a new market
• c) Understanding changing customer
preferences and choices
• d) Finding the effects of change in marketing
mix variables (i.e. product, price, place and
promotion)
• e) Revealing hidden consumer preferences,
motives, expectations and their relation to
overall behaviour.
 Examples of Exploratory Research
Design
• The following are some examples for studies with
exploratory research design in business studies:
• A study into the role of social networking sites as
an effective marketing communication channel
• An investigation into the ways of improvement of
quality of customer services within hospitality
sector in London
• An assessment of the role of corporate social
responsibility on consumer behaviour in
pharmaceutical industry in the India.