Page 41 - DMGT404 RESEARCH_METHODOLOGY

Unit 3: Research Design

2. In-depth interviews are optimal for collecting data on individuals' personal histories, Notes
perspectives, and experiences, particularly when sensitive topics are being explored.
3. Focus groups are effective in eliciting data on the cultural norms of a group and in
generating broad overviews of issues of concern to the cultural groups or subgroups
represented.

Task Enlist the basic differences between quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:

3. The major emphasis in exploratory research is on converting ........................., vague problem
statements into ............... and .............................. sub-problem statements.
4. Exploratory research is ........................ and very .......................

5. In experience surveys, it is desirable to talk to persons who are well informed in the area
being .............................
6. Most of the companies conducting the ........................... groups first screen the candidates to
determine who will compose the particular group.
7. The moderator must not miss the ............................. comment.
8. The moderator must encourage ........................ members to participate.

3.3 Descriptive Research Design

The name itself reveals that, it is essentially a research to describe something. For example, it
can describe the characteristics of a group such as – customers, organisations, markets, etc.
Descriptive research provides "association between two variables" like income and place of
shopping, age and preferences.
Descriptive inform us about the proportions of high and low income customers in a particular
territory. What descriptive research cannot indicate is that it cannot establish a cause and effect
relationship between the characteristics of interest. This is the distinct disadvantage of descriptive
research.
Descriptive study requires a clear specification of "Who, what, when, where, why and how" of
the research. For example, consider a situation of convenience stores (food world) planning to
open a new outlet. The company wants to determine, "How people come to patronize a new
outlet?" Some of the questions that need to be answered before data collection for this descriptive
study are as follows:
1. Who? Who is regarded as a shopper responsible for the success of the shop, whose
demographic profile is required by the retailer?
2. What? What characteristics of the shopper should be measured?
3. Is it the age of the shopper, sex, income or residential address?

4. When? When shall we measure?
5. Should the measurement be made while the shopper is shopping or at a later time?

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