Types of Research Designand Exploratory Research

Chapter 4

Three types of research design

• Exploratory design

Major emphasis: gaining ideas and insights

• Descriptive design

Major emphasis: determining the frequency with which something occurs

• Causal design

Major emphasis: determining cause-and-effect relationships

• There are no absolute distinctions among the threePrinciple: The design of the investigation should

stem from the problem

• Productivity of a research design depends on how skillfully it is applied

• Three basic designs are stages in a continuous process. Each stage represents the investigation of a more detailed statement of the problem

Relationships Among the Research Designs

DescriptiveResearch

ExploratoryResearch

CausalResearch

Brand X’s share of disposable diaper market is decreasing. WHY?

• too broad to serve as a guide for research

• Exploratory research to narrow and refine

a possible explanation emerged– brand X is economy priced, families with small children have more real income today and are willing to pay more

• Descriptive study of trends in baby products industry

preference, willingness to pay more data

• Test market to determine market acceptance of a high priced high quality diapers

actual purchase data

Exploratory Research

• Basic uses Better understanding of the situation Clarify concepts Not designed to come up with final answers and

decisions Formulate a problem for more precise investigation Develop hypotheses Establish priorities for further research

• Key Characteristics Small scale Flexibility

• Literature Search

• Depth Interviews

• Focus Groups

• Nominal Groups

• Case Analyses

• Projective Methods

Types and Some Key Characteristics of Exploratory Studies

• Literature Search A search of statistics, trade journal articles,

other articles, magazines, newspapers, and books for data or insight into the problem at hand

• Depth Interviews Interviews with people knowledgeable about the

general subject being investigated

• Focus Groups An interview conducted among a small number

of individuals simultaneously

Types of Exploratory Research

• Nominal Groups A group interview technique which initially limits

respondent interaction to a minimum while attempting to maximize input from individual group members

• Case Analysis Intensive study of selected examples of the

phenomenon of interest

• Projective Methods Methods that encourage respondents to reveal their

own feelings, thoughts, and behaviors by shifting the focus away from the individual through the use of indirect tasks

Types of Exploratory Research

Focus Groups

• Extremely popular research technique

• Format Typically 8-12 people Homogeneous within group 1.5 to 2 hours in length Sessions recorded and transcribed

• Key person: the moderator

Two Major Pitfalls to Avoid with Focus Groups

• It is easy for managers see what they expect to see in focus group results

• Focus groups are one form of exploratory research – it (or any other type of exploratory research) should not be expected to deliver final results or answers to decision problems – yet many managers seem to use them for that purpose

Projective techniques

• Word AssociationSubjects respond to a list of words with the first word that comes to mind

traffic _______, lakes _______, smokestacks _______, city _______

government _______, margarine _______, blue jeans _______

Elapse of time before a response is given, frequency of a word given as a response, number of no responses showing level of emotional involvement

• Sentence CompletionSubjects complete a number of sentences with the first thought that comes to

mind

When I think of living in a city _____________________________________

People who are concerned about ecology _____________________________

• StorytellingTAT (Thematic Apperception Test) a pictorial device which consists of

copyrighted series of pictures