Page 59 - DMGT404 RESEARCH_METHODOLOGY

Unit 3: Research Design

Latin Square Design Notes

Researcher chooses 3 shelf arrangements in three stores. He would like to observe the sales
generated in each stores at different period. Researcher must make sure that one type of shelf
arrangement is used in each store only once.
In Latin square design, only one variable is tested. As an example of Latin square design assume
that a super market chain is interested in the effect of in store promotion on sales. Suppose there
are three promotions considered as follows:
1. No promotion
2. Free sample with demonstration

3. Window display
Which of the 3 will be effective? The out come may be affected by the size of the stores and the
time period. If we choose 3 stores and 3 time periods, the total number of combination is 33 = 9.
The arrangement is as follows:
Store
Time period
1 2 3
1 B C A
2 A B C
3 A B C

Latin square is concerned with effectiveness of each kind of promotion on sales.

Ex-post Facto Design

This is a variation of "after only design". The groups such as experiment and control are identified
only after they are exposed to the experiment.

Let us assume that a magazine publisher wants to know the impact of advertisement on knitting
in 'Women's Era' magazine. The subscribers of magazines are asked whether they have seen this
advertisement on "knitting". Those who have read and not read, are asked about the price,
design etc. of the product. The difference indicates the effectiveness of advertisement. In this
design, the experimental group is set to receive the treatment rather than exposing it to the
treatment by its choice.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
17. Explanatory variable are the variables whose effects, researcher wishes to .........................

18. …………………are units, on which the experiment is carried out.
19. ……………..design helps to determine the effect of each of the variables and also measure
the interacting effect of the several variables.

3.7 Summary

 There are primarily four types of research namely exploratory research, descriptive
research, Casual and experimental research.

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