Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
95 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Research Design
|
The framework or plan for a study that guides the collection and analysis of the data
|
|
Once research problem(s) are formalized, the next question to ask is
|
“Exactly what information is needed to solve the research problem?”
|
|
The research design:
|
(1) is driven by the research problem
(2) depends upon how much is known about the problem |
|
Types of Research Design
|
Qualitative research
Quantitative research |
|
Qualitative research
|
Exploratory
Goal: Explore |
|
Quantitative research
|
Descriptive Research
Goal: Describe Causal Research Goal: Establish Cause and Effect |
|
Qualitative (Exploratory)
|
For example: if you want to know more about Venezuelan culture ask a Venezuelan
But the Venezuelan you ask will not perfectly represent ALL Venezuelan people That’s why you need Quantitative research |
|
Quantitative
|
Appropriate for seeing if your understanding is correct for the entire group that you want to study
Uses statistics to make guesses about an entire group from asking only a small part of the group For example: Your interview with Joey from the University of Texas has shown that he loves driving his truck in the mud. You want to see whether the majority of people from UT also tend to love driving in the mud. It takes too long to ask everyone attending UT! So you just ask a few people and make an educated guess about everyone else—using statistics |
|
Types of Research Design
|
Exploratory
Descriptive Causal |
|
Exploratory Research Design
|
What might be important to consider?
|
|
Descriptive Research Design
|
What are the characteristics of…?
|
|
Causal Research Design
|
If we do this, what will
be the impact? |
|
Why conduct exploratory research?
|
Better formulate the manager’s decision problem
Increase researcher’s familiarity with the problem Clarify concepts Develop hypotheses Exploratory research works to develop a “theory” regarding the research problem at hand |
|
Literature Search
|
A search of statistics, trade journal articles, other articles, magazines, newspapers, and books for data or insight into the problem at hand (i.e., qualitative secondary data)
One common—but time intensive—methodology: content analysis Ex: Collaboration in business |
|
Depth Interviews
|
Open-ended interviews with people knowledgeable about the general subject being investigated
Some possibilities: those who work with it (e.g., employees, consultants) those who study it (e.g., researchers, analysts) those who live it (e.g., consumers) We will talk more about this next lecture |
|
Focus Group
|
Group interview facilitated by a moderator
Participants playing off each other Typically 8 – 12 people Homogeneous within group 1.5 to 2 hours in length Sessions recorded and transcribed |
|
Case Analyses
|
Intensive study of selected examples of the phenomenon of interest
Can include observation Used for benchmarking, reality checks Ethnographic study in stores video (RV1) Especially effective with cases reflecting... ...recent change ...extremes of behavior ...the “best” and “worst” situations |
|
Projective Methods
|
Indirect method of getting someone’s opinion
Useful when respondents do not want to talk about a subject For example: When respondents do not fully trust the researcher For studying illegal or unethical behavior For studying taboo or embarrassing topics Content analysis or a similar technique is then used to find underlying meaning |
|
Projective techniques
|
Role playing
Word association What words best describe how you feel about each logo? Sentence completion People who ride bikes are ________. |
|
Why bother with quantitative research?
|
To make guesses about a larger population
Cheaper and easier than conducting a census Provides evidence |
|
Exploratory research is very flexible; descriptive research is MUCH more rigid
|
Descriptive research requires the clear specification of…
WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, and HOW -- before data collection can begin. |
|
Longitudinal Analysis
|
Continuous Panels
Discontinuous Panels |
|
Continuous Panels
|
Measurements taken on same items from same people over time.
|
|
Discontinuous Panels
|
Measurements taken on different items from same people over time.
Essentially it is the same group of respondents over a variety of projects. |
|
Sample Survey
(Cross-Sectional Analysis) |
Study in which the sample is selected to be representative of the target population and in which the emphasis is on the generation of summary statistics such as averages and percentages.
|
|
Causal Research
|
The purpose of causal research is to test cause and effect relationships:
X --> Y condition X causes event Y |
|
Casual: Why questions (does x cause Y)
|
Do people who are in love buy more candy?
More love More candy Does using fear tactics in commercials actually reduce smoking? More fear Less smoking Do younger people prefer sweeter food? Lower age More preference for sweet food Do people with bad credit refinance their homes more often? Worse credit More refinancing |
|
Hypotheses
|
Hypothesis: A statement that specifies how two or more measurable variables are related.
(Look at slide for example.) |
|
Consistent variation
|
evidence of the extent to which X and Y occur together or vary together in the way predicted by the hypothesis
|
|
Time order
|
evidence that shows X occurs before Y
|
|
Elimination of other explanations
|
evidence that allows the elimination of factors other than X as the cause of Y
X—the cause (independent variable) Y—the effect (dependent variable) |
|
Experimental design is the “correct” way of testing causality
|
It is often not practical to actually conduct in business
Therefore, we often use surveys instead |
|
Experiment:
|
A test under controlled conditions that is made to examine the validity of a hypothesis
|
|
Experiments
|
Assign people into groups
Condition group vs. Control group |
|
Internal validity:
|
Internal validity: extent to which observed effect can be attributed to experimental variable and not to other factors. Lab experiments tend to have higher levels of internal validity.
|
|
External validity:
|
External validity: extent to which observed effect can be generalized to particular populations and situations. Field experiments tend to have higher levels of external validity.
|
|
Secondary Data
|
Information not gathered for the immediate study at hand but for some other purpose.
|
|
Primary Data
|
Information collected specifically for the investigation at hand.
|
|
The Balancing Act with Secondary Data
|
POTENTIAL
ADVANTAGES Time Cost POTENTIAL DISADVANTAGES Fit Accuracy |
|
Assessing the Accuracy of Secondary Data
|
Primacy of Source
Primary Source Secondary Source Purpose of Publication Who sponsored the research? General Evidence of Quality Ability of researchers Process of data collection |
|
Types of Secondary Data
|
Internal Data
External Data |
|
Internal Data
|
Data that originate within the organization for which the research is being done.
Most studies should begin with a search for internal secondary data. |
|
External Data
|
Data that originate outside the organization for which the research is being done.
|
|
Types of Data Collection
|
Secondary Data
and Primary Data |
|
Internal Secondary Data Sources
|
Cash register receipts
Sales invoices Financial records Credit memos Salespersons’ call reports Salespersons’ customer/prospect records Warranty cards Salespersons’ expense accounts Previous marketing research reports |
|
Analyzing “thick” data
|
If the data consists of numbers, you can analyze it using statistics
If the data consists of words, you should: “Convert” it to numbers Try to draw conclusions directly But your conclusions will be biased |
|
Coding
|
Initial coding
and Focused coding |
|
Initial coding
|
the first stage in classifying and assigning meaning to pieces of information for data analysis.
Numerous codes are generated while reading through responses without concern for the variety of categories. |
|
Focused coding
|
the second stage of classifying and assigning meaning to pieces of information for data analysis.
Coding categories are eliminated, combined, or subdivided, and the researcher identifies repeating ideas and larger underlying themes that connect codes. |
|
Content Analysis
|
What is measured?Any or all of the following can be measured:
Frequency Direction Intensity Space |
|
Frequency
|
how many times does something occur, eg. a particular word, theme, stereotype?
|
|
Direction
|
the direction of the messages, e.g. positive or negative; supporting or opposed
|
|
Intensity
|
the strength or power of the direction, e.g. strongly supporting strongly opposed
|
|
Space
|
how much space does a particular message occupy (e.g. paragraphs in an article, duration in a film or advertisement)
|
|
Content Analysis - quantitative
|
Codes need to be clearly defined so categories are comprehensive and mutually exclusive
Pilot studies are useful to check coding categories If multiple coders are used, coding must be cross-checked to ensure consistency |
|
Setting/Context
Common types of coding categories |
Setting/Context codes provide background information on the setting, topic, or subjects.
|
|
Defining the Situation
Common types of coding categories |
Defining the Situation codes categorize the world view of respondents and how they see themselves in relation to a setting or your topic.
|
|
Respondent Perspective
Common types of coding categories |
Respondent Perspective codes capture how respondents define a particular aspect of a setting. These perspectives may be summed up in phrases they use, such as, "Say what you mean, but don't say it mean."
|
|
Respondents' Ways of Thinking about People and Objects
Common types of coding categories |
Respondents' Ways of Thinking about People and Objects codes capture how they categorize and view each other, outsiders, and objects. For example, a dean at a private school may categorize students: "There are crackerjack kids and there are junk kids."
|
|
What to do with the coded data?
|
Try to create hypotheses my connecting the coded data
For example: You notice a theme about going to parties in your interviews Marketing majors tend to have a positive attitude towards parties while Finance majors do not One hypothesis would be: H1: marketing majors like going to parties more than finance majors. |
|
Why Use Observation Research?
|
Observation is often the best method for generating valid data about individuals’ behavior.
|
|
Structured Observation
|
The problem has been defined precisely enough so that behaviors that will be observed can be specified beforehand, as can the categories that will be used to record and analyze the situation.
|
|
Unstructured Observation
|
The problem has not been specifically defined, so a great deal of flexibility is allowed the observers in terms of what they note and record.
|
|
disguised observation
|
With disguised observation, subjects are not aware that they are being observed (e.g., mystery shoppers).
Ethical considerations Debriefing |
|
undisguised observation
|
With undisguised observation, subjects know that they are being observed.
|
|
Natural Setting
|
Subjects are observed in the environment where the behavior normally takes place
Shopping in a store Using or consuming a product at home |
|
Contrived Setting
|
Subjects are observed in an environment that has been specially designed for recording their behavior
“fake” store computer simulation |
|
human observation
|
With human observation, individuals are trained to systematically observe a phenomenon and to record on the observational form the specific events that take place.
|
|
mechanical observation
|
With mechanical observation, a mechanical device observes the phenomenon and records the events that take place.
|
|
Examples of Mechanical Observation
|
Video cameras
Bar code scanners Response latency Galvanometer Voice-pitch analysis Eye camera |
|
Interviewing
|
Purpose of Interviewing: to capture the other person’s perspective
Main concerns: depth detail meaning |
|
Advantages of using interviews
|
Enable us to learn about things that cannot be directly observed
Add an inner perspective to outward behaviors Allows for probing Respondents can raise concerns Enable modification to lines of inquiry Refining questions |
|
Disadvantages of using interviews
|
Very time consuming
Expensive Usually sample size is small Quality of information obtained is largely dependent upon the interviewer Subject to interviewer bias Subject to respondent bias |
|
Before the interview
|
Research blueprint:
Sample size Interview structure Interview medium Number of interviews per person Interview analysis method |
|
How big should an interview sample size be?
|
Remember, interviews are not generalizable to a greater population
Therefore, sample size can be determined either by: Interviewing until information becomes redundant Best for looking for generalizable trends 2 interviews per relevant category Best for looking for differences between groups or exceptions to the norm |
|
Mediums for interviewing
|
Face-to-face
Telephone Written |
|
Approaches to Qualitative Interviewing:
|
Informal conversational interview (unstructured)
General interview guide approach (semi-structured) Standardized open-ended interview (structured) |
|
Unstructured interview:
|
Resembles a conversation
informants may sometimes forget that they are being interviewed Most of the questions asked will flow from the immediate context Useful for exploring interesting topics for investigation Typical of ‘ongoing’ participant observation fieldwork |
|
Semi-structured interview (commonly called guided interview)
|
Basic checklist of questions are prepared
To make sure all relevant topics are covered. The interviewer is still free to explore, probe and ask questions. Useful for eliciting information about specific topics. Allows for in-depth probing WHILE still keeping the interview within the parameters of the study. |
|
The standardized open-ended interview
|
A set of open-ended questions
Carefully worded and arranged For the purpose of minimizing variation in the questions posed to the interviewees. Useful when two or more researchers are involved in the data collecting process. Less flexibility Probing is less possible |
|
How many interviews per participant?
|
Participants can be interviewed multiple times
Increase rapport between respondent and interviewer Prevents boredom when a lot of information is needed More difficulty securing permission Different interviews can be different styles based on your needs |
|
Analysis
|
Multiple interviewers
Taping interviews Content analysis |
|
During the interview...
|
Encourage a free rein but maintain control
Don’t lose sight of your research interest Gently guide respondents through probing questions if they get off track Try not to interrupt |
|
During the interview...
|
1. Ask clear questions
easy to understand short devoid of jargon 2. Ask single questions 3. Ask truly open-ended questions Do not pre-determine the answers Satirical example of predetermining an answer (from the Colbert Report): “George Bush: Great president or the greatest president? |
|
During the interview
|
Ask experience/behavior questions before opinion/feeling questions
Sequence the questions Using funneling Ex: All babies cry, of course. Some mothers feel that if you pick up a baby every time it cries, you will spoil it. Others think you should never let a baby cry for very long. Broad: How do you feel about this? Specific: How about the middle of the night? More specific: What about on nights when you have to work the next day? |
|
Probe & follow-up questions
|
The purpose of probing is to deepen the response to a question
|
|
Interpret questions
|
Researchers should clarify interviewee’s statements to avoid misinterpretations.
Ex: “Is it correct that you feel that……?"; |
|
During the interview
|
Probe & follow-up questions
Interpret questions Follow up on Non-verbal cues such as laughter Tolerate silence |
|
5 probing techniques
|
Procuring details
Faking puzzling Encouraging Interject understanding Acknowledging |
|
Procuring details
|
Procuring details
Asking further questions to see if more information can be obtained. |
|
Faking puzzling
|
Faking puzzling
Pretending to be confused, indicating elaboration is needed. |
|
Encouraging
|
Encouraging
Giving compliments to encourage the informants to carry on. |
|
Interject understanding
|
Interject understanding
Making the informant know that his/her comments are understood and treasured + allowing him/her time for further comments. |
|
Acknowledging
|
Acknowledging
Repeating the informant’s answer to show attention. |
|
Ethical considerations of interviewing
|
Be careful to ensure sensitive information won’t hurt the respondent
Get permission of guardian when interviewing children Institutional review board (IRB) For research that is intended to be published MUST get IRB approval |