Download - Res Meth Presentation CPJ May 14 2011
National WorkshopOn
“RECENT ADVANCES IN RESEARCH METHODOLOGY & DATA
ANALYTICAL TOOLS”
Research methodology for social sciences – The research process
Prof. AJAY PANDITFMS, Delhi University
May 14, 2011
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
• Scientific investigation in to an area of interest to the researcher
• Key attributes of being scientific?
Attributes of being Scientific
• Systematic
• Accurate
• Authentic
Research Defined• Research is systematic collection, analysis and
interpretation of data [for managerial decision making.]
• No method known to man can entirely eliminate uncertainty. But scientific method, more than any other procedure, can minimize those elements of uncertainty which result from lack of information. By so doing, it reduces the danger of making a wrong choice between alternative courses of action
Research process - Steps
Problem Definition
Research design
Design of data collection methods and forms
Sample design and data collection
Analysis and interpretation of data
Research report
RESEARCH DESIGN
EXPLORATORY DESCRIPTIVE CAUSAL
TYPES OF RESEARCHES
EXPLORATORY DESCRIPTIVE CAUSAL
- Low prior info
- Qualitative / Desk / `Expert’
- Unstructured
- Defines state of market and consumer as of today
- Can check out hypo
“If … then …”Method- Experimentation- field / lab- Tracking of real life events
EXPLORATORY RESEARCH
• Low a priori information
• Serves to provide an understanding, defines issues, hypothesis building and focusing / prioritisng research effort
• Methodologies include- literature search- Interviewing knowledgeable persons- case study analysis
• Exploratory research characterised by their flexibility
SOURCES OF SECONDARY DATA
• Newspapers and magazines• Trade publications• Census• Government statistics• Annual reports of industry/trade associations• Stock exchange directories
PROBLEMS WITH SECONDARY DATA
• Rarely available
• When available,- rarely comprehensive- rarely updated- rarely accurate- not detailed
• Therefore, rarely usable, if available
USE OF AVAILABLE DATA
InitialAnalysis
Recordeddata
Unrecordeddata
Internaldata
Externaldata
Informalinterviews
Direct observation
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
- Word association- Sentence completion- Storytelling- Obituaries- Role plays- Psychodramas- Psychodrawings
DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCHES
• Meant to describe- characteristics of the market/consumer- estimate size/composition of market
• Require a clear specification of
ho hat hen here hy & how of the research
W
CAUSALITY
• Causality means X causes Y
• But, how does one establish causality ?
• Association does not mean causality. Increase in number of cars on Indian roads is associated with electricity consumption. But, one is not the cause of the other.
• Causality usually remains a hypothesis.
Tasks Involved in Problem Definition
• Discussions with Decision Makers• Interviews with Industry Experts• Secondary Data Analysis• Qualitative Research
Proper Definition of the Research Problem
Research Problem
Broad Statement
Specific Components
Components of an Approach
Objective/Theoretical Foundations Analytical Model Research Questions Hypotheses Specification of the Information Needed
Objective/Theoretical Foundations
• Theory is a conceptual scheme based on foundational statements, or axiom, which are assumed to be true.
• Objective evidence is unbiased evidence supported by empirical findings.
Models
An analytical model is a set of variables and their interrelationships designed to represent, in whole or in part, some real system or process.
Types:- verbal- graphical- mathematical
Models
In verbal models, the variables and their relationships are stated in prose form. Such models may be mere restatements of the main tenets of a theory.
Graphical ModelsGraphical models are visual. They are used toisolate variables and to suggest directions ofrelationships but are not designed to providenumerical results.
Cognitive Loyalty
Affective Loyalty
Conative Loyalty
Repurchase
Mathematical models explicitly specify therelationships among variables, usually inequation form.
Wherey = degree of preference
= model parameters to be estimated statistically
Mathematical Models
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Development of Research Questions and Hypotheses
Components of the
Research Questions
Hypotheses
Objective/TheoreticalFramework
AnalyticalModel
Marketing Research Problem
Research Questions and Hypotheses
• Research questions (RQs) are refined statements of the specific components of the problem.
• A hypothesis (H) is an unproven statement or proposition about a factor or phenomenon that is of interest to the researcher. Often, a hypothesis is a possible answer to the research question.
Department Store Project• RQ: Do the customers of Pantaloon exhibit
store loyalty?
• H1: Customers who are store loyal are less knowledgeable about the shopping environment.
• H2: Store-loyal customers are more risk-averse than are non-loyal customers.
For a retail store like Pantaloon, following questions become important:
1. What criteria do households use when selecting department stores?2. How do households evaluate Pantaloon and competing stores in terms of the choice criteria identified in question 1?3. Which stores are patronized when shopping for specific
product categories?4. What is the market share of Pantaloon and its competitors for specific product categories?5. What is the demographic and psychological profile of the
customers of Pantaloon? Does it differ from the profile of customers of competing stores?
6. Can store patronage and preference be explained in terms of store evaluations and customer characteristics?
Pantaloon Study
Pantaloon StudySpecification of Information Needed
Component 1 The researcher identified the following factors as part of the choice
criteria: quality of merchandise, variety and assortment of merchandise, returns and adjustment policy, service of store personnel, prices, convenience of location, layout of store, credit and billing policies. The respondents should be asked to rate the importance of each factor as it influences their store selection.
Component 2 The researcher identified nine department stores as competitors to
Pantaloon based on discussions with management. The respondents should be asked to evaluate Pantaloon and its nine competitors on the eight choice criteria factors.
Study on BlogsOBJECTIVES • Identify the profile of those who engage in blog writing and investigate their
behaviour.• Explore and substantiate with evidence – why do some people blog.• Examine the consequences of blogging, on behaviour of opinion leaders and
opinion seekers.• Measure the positive and challenging impact on consumers’ behaviour as a
result of blogs.• Develop a blog communication model impacting consumer decision process.• Establish blogs as an effective tool for Public Relations and corporate image
building. • Justify blogs as the emerging concept of Customer Relationship Management.
Digression
• Few Fundamental Concepts
• Measurement Scales• Central Limit Theorem• Socio-economic classification
Scales of Measurements
Scales of Measurement
Scale BasicCompa-risons
TypicalExamples
Measuresof
AverageNominal Identity Male-female
User-nonuser
OccupationsUniform
Numbers
Mode
Scales of MeasurementScale Basic
Compa-risons
TypicalExamples
Measuresof
Average
Ordinal Order Preferencefor brands
Social classHardness of
mineralsGraded
quality oflumber
Median
Scales of MeasurementScale Basic
Compa-risons
TypicalExamples
Measuresof
AverageInterval Compari
son ofIntervals
Temperaturescale
Grade-pointaverage
Attitudetowardbrands
Awarenessofadvertising
Mean
Scales of MeasurementScale Basic
Compa-risons
TypicalExamples
Measures ofAverage
Ratio Comparisonof absolutemagnitudes
Units soldNumber of
purchasersProbability
ofpurchase
Weight
Geometricmean
What sort of a scale would consumer responses to the following questions generate?
1. Have you purchased toothpaste in the last one week?2. How many children do you have?3. What size of pack did you last purchase-0.5 kg, 1.0 kg or1.5k4. Please put these five brands of soft drinks [Pepsi, Coca Cola, 7- Up, Limca,
Fanta] in the order of your preference?.5. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate the computer course you have just
completed?6. How much money did you spend last month on entertainment ?
Questionnaire Design Process
The Sampling Design Process
Define the Population
Determine the Sampling Frame
Select Sampling Technique(s)
Determine the Sample Size
Execute the Sampling Process
Data Analysis
Data Analysis involves three stages:
1. Testing association between variables2. Determining the degree of association
between the variables3. Estimating the values of the variables
Identifying the technique
Technique shall largely depend upon the scales of measurement of variables i.e. nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio.
Bi-variate Analysis
Independent
Nom Int/Ratio
Nom Chi-Sq. χ2 Discriminant
Dependant
Int/Ratio ANOVA Reg/Co-Rel
Thanks!
Any Questions Please!