The Importance Of Research Design

This is an important chapter which describes ‘how’ the researcher carried out the research to answer his research questions. This chapter functions to answer the following questions, such as; When the research was carried out? Where the research was carried out? How the research was carried out? What procedures were used? and what materials, techniques, samples, data were used in the study? It includes a concise discussion of research methodology and materials, participants and procedures. It should provide a clear picture of selection of sample, instrumentation, documentation, data collection and analysis. This chapter should be comprehensive and detailed enough that other researchers can be able to replicate it.

Research Design is the heart

Martin Bulmer (1947) says that research design is the specification of the problem, conceptual definitions, derivation of hypothesis, to test, and defining a population to be studied. Selltiz et al. (1959) shows that research designs are closely linked to an investigator’s objectives and specifies either designs are exploratory, descriptive or experimental in nature.

For Ackoff Russell (1961) research design is planning various phases and procedures relating to the formulation of research efforts. Kerlinger (1973) said that a research design sets up the framework for ‘adequate’ tests of the relations among variables. Designs tell us, in a sense, what observations to make, how to make them, and how to analyze the quantitative representations of the observations. A design tells us what type of statistical analysis to use.

Henry Manheim (1977) is of the opinion that research design not only anticipates and specifics the seemingly countless decisions connected with carrying out data collection, processing and analysis but it presents a logical basis for the decisions. William Zikmund (1988) has defined research design as “a master plan specifying the methods and procedures for collecting and analyzing the needed information.” Further, Miller has defined research design “as the planned sequence of the entire process involved in conducting a research

- Oversight and accountability tasks of monitoring, evaluation and revalidation or correction of educational practices.

- Empowerment and computation ability to articulate needs and choices and to make effective advocacy to ensure desired outcomes in the education sector.

- Production of cumulative and comparative knowledge to increase understanding of educational processes and practices.

Thus, Educational Research is to solve educational problem in systematic and scientific manner, it is to understand, explain, predict and control human behavior.

Gary Anderson, in his book, ‘Fundamentals of Educational Research’ has mentioned some characteristics of Educational Research which are as follows:

i. Educational Research attempts to solve a problem. ii. Educational Research involves gathering new data from primary or firsthand sources or using existing data for a new purpose. iii. Educational Research is based upon observable experience or empirical evidence. iv. Educational Research demands accurate observation and description.

v. Educational Research generally employs carefully designed procedures and rigorous