By: Arthur Hall
Submitted: 2010-12-15 21:27:06 | Word Count: 503
Research format is very necessary to make a plan about the approach that you are going to take to solve the research problem statement. It will help you to decide in advance the literature survey method, sampling and data collection method and the analysis method that you are going to do to complete the research paper.
There are different types of research design methods. The classical experimental design of J.S.Mill is a development from both the positive and negative canons. It attempts to avoid their weakness. In a simplified form Mill called it the “method of differences”. For example, it may be stated that there are two or more cases and in one of them the observation Z can be made while in the other it can’t and if factor C occurs when observation Z is made and doesn’t occur when observation Z is not made then it can be asserted that there is a causal relationship between C and Z. To develop the classical design of proof one needs two series of observations, one set is the control series where the cause is not present and another set is the experimental series where the causative factor is present. For example, if it is assumed that a boy gets unsatisfactory grades in his courses where he has not done his home work and gets satisfactory grades in some courses where he has done his home work, then the matter of boy’s doing his home work is the causative factor and is present in the experimental series. Thus in a study on treatment of malaria, two series of groups of persons are watched in all other health factors while one group is administered with Atabrine. The control series is left on its own. If malaria gets cured in the experimental group then Atabrine is thought up as a cure for malaria.
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The components of any research format are as follows:
1) to select a problem and to define
2) to make a hypothesis
3) Object of study- whether the design aims at a theoretical understanding or presupposes an existing notion must be explicit at this point. Stating the object of the study aids not only in clarity of the design but also in a sincere response from the respondents.
4) Temporal context- the geographical limit of the design should also be referred to at this stage so that the research related to hypothesis is applicable to particular limit only.
5) Sampling techniques to be used- In most of the researches census technique is impossible to use. It should be very clear that is will not be possible for you to check each and every object of the research universe. So an appropriate sampling technique is very effective to save cost, time and energy and also to get precise result.
6) Data collection methods to be used- The requirement of the research and the sampling technique will determine what kind of data, in what quantity and from where is needed.
