Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
4
Research Design
A research design is the blueprint of the different
steps to be undertaken starting with the formula-
tion of the hypothesis to drawing inference during
a research process. The research design clearly
explains the different steps to be taken during a
research program to reach the objective of a par-
ticular research. This is nothing but advance
planning of the methods to be adopted at various
steps in the research, keeping in view the objective
of the research, the availability of the resources,
time, etc. As such, the research design raises vari-
ous questions before it is meticulously formed.
The following questions need to be clarified
before the formulation of the research design:
1. What is the study?
2. Why the study is being undertaken?
3. Where should the study be carried out?
4. What kind of data are required?
5. What are the resources available, including
time?
6. What should be the sampling design (if
required)?
7. What would be
or survey, exploratory or descriptive, etc., appro-
priate steps cannot be identified. Unless it is
clearly known why a study is being undertaken,
the objective of the study won't be clear. The
study area where the research program is to be
undertaken must be known, because the steps to
be followed differ for different types of studies.
The steps to be followed differ from survey
design to experimental design, descriptive to
exploratory design, and diagnostic to experimen-
tal design. If it is a laboratory experiment, the
type of precision required is different from that
of a field experiment. Depending upon the type
of experiment, the type of research data required
and the methods of data collection differ. In a
survey type of research, one may have to adopt a
specific sampling design or technique, which
may be different from sampling techniques
adopted for the selection of samples for experi-
mental research studies. The research design is
required to be framed in a way so as to utilize
the available manpower, money power, and
instrumental facilities within a given time
frame in the best possible manner, and so as to
reach to the objective of the study optimally. A
research design then is a detailed outline of a plan
of work to be undertaken during the process
of conducting a research program, which may
or may not require modifications as the research
progresses.
the methods of data
collection?
8. What are the possible analytical techniques
that can be used?
9. What would be the mode of presentation of
the findings?
Without having a clear-cut idea about the
nature of the study, pure or applied, experimental
