ASSIGNMENT -1

Research Methodology and Intellectual

Property Rights

NITESH KUMAR
M.Tech TE{2022 Batch}
1 SEMESTER
 Exploratory Research
Definition
Exploratory research is defined as research used to investigate a problem which is
not clearly defined. It is conducted to have a better understanding of the existing
problem, but will not provide conclusive results. For such research, a researcher
starts with a general idea and uses this research as a medium to identify issues, that
can be the focus for future research. An important aspect here is that the researcher
should be willing to change his/her direction subject to the revelation of new data or
insight. Such research is usually carried out when the problem is at a preliminary
stage. It is often referred to as grounded theory approach or interpretive research as
it used to answer questions like what, why and how.

For example: Consider a scenario where a juice bar owner feels that increasing the
variety of juices will enable increase in customers, however he is not sure and needs
more information. The owner intends to carry out exploratory research to find out
and hence decides to do exploratory research to find out if expanding their juices
selection will enable him to get more customers of if there is a better idea.

Another example of exploratory research is a podcast survey template that can be

used to collect feedback about the podcast consumption metrics both from existing
listeners as well as other podcast listeners that are currently not subscribed to this
channel. This helps the author of the podcast create curated content that will gain a
larger audience.

Types and methodologies of Exploratory

research
While it may sound a little difficult to research something that has very little
information about it, there are several methods which can help a researcher figure
out the best research design, data collection methods and choice of subjects. There
are two ways in which research can be conducted namely primary and secondary.
Under these two types, there are multiple methods which can used by a researcher.
The data gathered from these research can be qualitative or quantitative. Some of the
most widely used research designs include the following:

Primary research methods

Primary research is information gathered directly from the subject. It can be through
a group of people or even an individual. Such a research can be carried out directly
by the researcher himself or can employ a third party to conduct it on their behalf.
Primary research is specifically carried out to explore a certain problem which
requires an in-depth study.

• Surveys/polls: Surveys/polls are used to gather information from a

predefined group of respondents. It is one of the most important quantitative
method. Various types of surveys or polls can be used to explore opinions,
trends, etc. With the advancement in technology, surveys can now be sent
online and can be very easy to access. For instance, use of a survey
app through tablets, laptops or even mobile phones. This information is also
available to the researcher in real time as well. Nowadays, most
organizations offer short length surveys and rewards to respondents, in
order to achieve higher response rates.
For example: A survey is sent to a given set of audience to understand their opinions
about the size of mobile phones when they purchase one. Based on such information
organization can dig deeper into the topic and make business related decision.

• Interviews: While you may get a lot of information from public sources, but
sometimes an in person interview can give in-depth information on the
subject being studied. Such a research is a qualitative research method. An
interview with a subject matter expert can give you meaningful insights that
a generalized public source won’t be able to provide. Interviews are carried
out in person or on telephone which have open-ended questions to get
meaningful information about the topic.
For example: An interview with an employee can give you more insights to find out
the degree of job satisfaction, or an interview with a subject matter expert of quantum
theory can give you in-depth information on that topic.

• Focus groups: Focus group is yet another widely used method in exploratory
research. In such a method a group of people is chosen and are allowed to
express their insights on the topic that is being studied. Although, it is
important to make sure that while choosing the individuals in a focus group
they should have a common background and have comparable experiences.
For example: A focus group helps a research identify the opinions of consumers if
they were to buy a phone. Such a research can help the researcher understand what
the consumer value while buying a phone. It may be screen size, brand value or even
the dimensions. Based on which the organization can understand what are consumer
buying attitudes, consumer opinions, etc.

• Observations: Observation research can be qualitative

observation or quantitative observation. Such a research is done to observe
 a person and draw the finding from their reaction to certain parameters. In
such a research, there is no direct interaction with the subject.
For example: An FMCG company wants to know how it’s consumer react to the
new shape of their product. The researcher observes the customers first reaction
and collects the data, which is then used to draw inferences from the collective
information.

Secondary research methods

Secondary research is gathering information from previously published primary
research. In such a research you gather information from sources likes case studies,
magazines, newspapers, books, etc.

• Online research: In today’s world, this is one of the fastest way to gather
information on any topic. A lot of data is readily available on the internet
and the researcher can download it whenever he needs it. An important
aspect to be noted for such a research is the genuineness and authenticity of
the source websites that the researcher is gathering the information from.
For example: A researcher needs to find out what is the percentage of people that
prefer a specific brand phone. The researcher just enters the information he needs in
a search engine and gets multiple links with related information and statistics.

• Literature research: Literature research is one of the most inexpensive

method used for discovering a hypothesis. There is tremendous amount of
information available in libraries, online sources, or even commercial
databases. Sources can include newspapers, magazines, books from library,
documents from government agencies, specific topic related articles,
literature, Annual reports, published statistics from research organizations
and so on.
However, a few things have to be kept in mind while researching from these sources.
Government agencies have authentic information but sometimes may come with a
nominal cost. Also, research from educational institutions is generally overlooked,
but in fact educational institutions carry out more number of research than any other
entities.

Furthermore, commercial sources provide information on major topics like political

agendas, demographics, financial information, market trends and information, etc.

For example: A company has low sales. It can be easily explored from available
statistics and market literature if the problem is market related or organization related
or if the topic being studied is regarding financial situation of the country, then
research data can be accessed through government documents or commercial
sources.
 • Case study research: Case study research can help a researcher with finding
more information through carefully analyzing existing cases which have
gone through a similar problem. Such analysis are very important and
critical especially in today’s business world. The researcher just needs to
make sure he analyses the case carefully in regards to all
the variables present in the previous case against his own case. It is very
commonly used by business organizations or social sciences sector or even
in the health sector.
For example: A particular orthopedic surgeon has the highest success rate for
performing knee surgeries. A lot of other hospitals or doctors have taken up this case
to understand and benchmark the method in which this surgeon does the procedure
to increase their success rate.

Exploratory research: Steps to conduct a

research
• Identify the problem: A researcher identifies the subject of research and the
problem is addressed by carrying out multiple methods to answer the
questions.
• Create the hypothesis: When the researcher has found out that there are no
prior studies and the problem is not precisely resolved, the researcher will
create a hypothesis based on the questions obtained while identifying the
problem.
• Further research: Once the data has been obtained, the researcher will
continue his study through descriptive investigation. Qualitative methods
are used to further study the subject in detail and find out if the information
is true or not.

Characteristics of Exploratory research

• They are not structured studies
• It is usually low cost, interactive and open ended.
• It will enable a researcher answer questions like what is the problem? What
is the purpose of the study? And what topics could be studied?
• To carry out exploratory research, generally there is no prior research done or
the existing ones do not answer the problem precisely enough.
• It is time-consuming research and it needs patience and has risks associated
with it.
• The researcher will have to go through all the information available for the
particular study he is doing.
• There are no set of rules to carry out the research per se, as they are flexible,
broad and scattered.
 • The research needs to have importance or value. If the problem is not
important in the industry the research carried out is ineffective.
• The research should also have a few theories which can support its findings
as that will make it easier for the researcher to assess it and move ahead in
his study
• Such a research usually produces qualitative data, however in certain cases
quantitative data can be generalized for a larger sample through use of
surveys and experiments.

Advantages of Exploratory research

• The researcher has a lot of flexibility and can adapt to changes as the research
progresses.
• It is usually low cost.
• It helps lay the foundation of a research, which can lead to further research.
• It enables the researcher understand at an early stage, if the topic is worth
investing the time and resources and if it is worth pursuing.
• It can assist other researchers to find out possible causes for the problem,
which can be further studied in detail to find out, which of them is the most
likely cause for the problem.

Disadvantages of Exploratory research

• Even though it can point you in the right direction towards what is the answer,
it is usually inconclusive.
• The main disadvantage of exploratory research is that they provide qualitative
data. Interpretation of such information can be judgmental and biased.
• Most of the times, exploratory research involves a smaller sample, hence the
results cannot be accurately interpreted for a generalized population.
• Many a times, if the data is being collected through secondary research, then
there is a chance of that data being old and is not updated.

Importance of Exploratory research

Exploratory research is carried out when a topic needs to be understood in depth,
especially if it hasn’t been done before. The goal of such a research is to explore the
problem and around it and not actually derive a conclusion from it. Such kind of
research will enable a researcher to set a strong foundation for exploring his ideas,
choosing the right research design and finding variables that actually are important
for the analysis. Most importantly, such a research can help organizations or
researchers save up a lot of time and resources, as it will enable the researcher to
know if it worth pursuing.
 Descriptive Research
Definition:
Descriptive research is defined as a research method that describes the
characteristics of the population or phenomenon studied. This descriptive
methodology focuses more on the “what” of the research subject than the “why” of
the research subject.

The descriptive research method primarily focuses on describing the nature of a

demographic segment, without focusing on “why” a particular phenomenon occurs.
In other words, it “describes” the subject of the research, without covering “why” it
happens.

For example, an apparel brand that wants to understand the fashion purchasing
trends among New York buyers will conduct a demographic survey of this region,
gather population data and then conduct descriptive research on this demographic
segment. The study will then uncover details on “what is the purchasing pattern of
New York buyers,” but not cover any investigative information about “why” the
patterns exits. Because for the apparel brand trying to break into this market,
understanding the nature of their market is the study’s objective.

Characteristics of descriptive research

The term descriptive research then refers to research questions, design of the study,
and data analysis conducted on that topic. We call it an observational research
method because none of the research study variables are influenced in any capacity.

Some distinctive characteristics of descriptive research are:

1. Quantitative research: Descriptive research is a quantitative

research method that attempts to collect quantifiable information for
statistical analysis of the population sample. It is a popular market research
tool that allows us to collect and describe the demographic segment’s
nature.
2. Uncontrolled variables: In descriptive research, none of the variables are
influenced in any way. This uses observational methods to conduct the
research. Hence, the nature of the variables or their behavior is not in the
hands of the researcher.
 3. Cross-sectional studies: Descriptive research is generally a cross-
sectional study where different sections belonging to the same group are
studied.
4. The basis for further research: Researchers further research the data
collected and analyzed from descriptive research using different research
techniques. The data can also help point towards the types of research
methods used for the subsequent research.

Applications of descriptive research with

examples
A descriptive research method can be used in multiple ways and for various
reasons. Before getting into any survey, though, the survey goals and survey
design are crucial. Despite following these steps, there is no way to know if one will
meet the research outcome. How to use descriptive research? To understand the end
objective of research goals, below are some ways organizations currently use
descriptive research today:

• Define respondent characteristics: The aim of using close-ended questions

is to draw concrete conclusions about the respondents. This could be the
need to derive patterns, traits, and behaviors of the respondents. It could
also be to understand from a respondent, their attitude, or opinion about the
phenomenon. For example, understanding from millenials the hours per
week they spend on browsing the internet. All this information helps the
organization researching to make informed business decisions.
• Measure data trends: Researchers measure data trends over time with a
descriptive research design’s statistical capabilities. Consider if an apparel
company researches different demographics like age groups from 24-35
and 36-45 on a new range launch of autumn wear. If one of those groups
doesn’t take too well to the new launch, it provides insight into what clothes
are like and what is not. The brand drops the clothes and apparel that
customers don’t like.
• Conduct comparisons: Organizations also use a descriptive research
design to understand how different groups respond to a specific product or
service. For example, an apparel brand creates a survey asking general
questions that measure the brand’s image. The same study also asks
demographic questions like age, income, gender, geographical location, etc.
This consumer research helps the organization understand what aspects of
the brand appeal to the population and what aspects do not. It also helps
make product or marketing fixes or even create a new product line to cater
to high growth potential groups.
• Validate existing conditions: Researchers widely use descriptive research to
help ascertain the research object’s prevailing conditions and underlying
 patterns. Due to the non-invasive research method and the use of
quantitative observation and some aspects of qualitative observation,
researchers observe each variable and conduct an in-depth analysis.
Researchers also use it to validate any existing conditions that may be
prevalent in a population.
• Conduct research at different times: The analysis can be conducted at
different periods to ascertain any similarities or differences. This also
allows any number of variables to be evaluated. For verification, studies on
prevailing conditions can also be repeated to draw trends.

Advantages of descriptive research

Some of the significant advantages of descriptive research are:

• Data collection:A researcher can conduct descriptive research using specific

methods like observational method, case study method, and survey method.
Between these three, all primary data collection methods are covered,
which provides a lot of information. This can be used for future research or
even developing a hypothesis of your research object.
• Varied: Since the data collected is qualitative and quantitative, it gives a
holistic understanding of a research topic. The information is varied,
diverse, and thorough.
• Natural environment: Descriptive research allows for the research to be
conducted in the respondent’s natural environment, which ensures that
high-quality and honest data is collected.
• Quick to perform and cheap: As the sample size is generally large in
descriptive research, the data collection is quick to conduct and is
inexpensive.

Descriptive research methods

There are three distinctive methods to conduct descriptive research. They are:

• Observational method
The observational method is the most effective method to conduct this research, and
researchers make use of both quantitative and qualitative observations.

A quantitative observation is the objective collection of data, which is primarily

focused on numbers and values. It suggests “associated with, of or depicted in terms
of a quantity.” Results of quantitative observation are derived using statistical and
numerical analysis methods. It implies observation of any entity associated with a
numeric value such as age, shape, weight, volume, scale, etc. For example, the
researcher can track if current customers will refer the brand using a simple Net
Promoter Score question.

Qualitative observation doesn’t involve measurements or numbers but instead just

monitoring characteristics. In this case, the researcher observes the respondents from
a distance. Since the respondents are in a comfortable environment, the
characteristics observed are natural and effective. In a descriptive research design,
the researcher can choose to be either a complete observer, an observer as a
participant, a participant as an observer, or a full participant. For example, in a
supermarket, a researcher can from afar monitor and track the customers’ selection
and purchasing trends. This offers a more in-depth insight into the purchasing
experience of the customer.

• Case study method

Case studies involve in-depth research and study of individuals or groups. Case
studies lead to a hypothesis and widen a further scope of studying a phenomenon.
However, case studies should not be used to determine cause and effect as they can’t
make accurate predictions because there could be a bias on the researcher’s part. The
other reason why case studies are not a reliable way of conducting descriptive
research is that there could be an atypical respondent in the survey. Describing them
leads to weak generalizations and moving away from external validity.

• Survey research
In survey research, respondents answer through surveys or questionnaires or polls.
They are a popular market research tool to collect feedback from respondents. A
study to gather useful data should have the right survey questions. It should be a
balanced mix of open-ended questions and close ended-questions. The survey
method can be conducted online or offline, making it the go-to option for descriptive
research where the sample size is enormous.

Examples of descriptive research

Some examples of descriptive research are:

1. A specialty food group launching a new range of barbecue rubs would like
to understand what flavors of rubs are favored by different people. To
understand the preferred flavor palette, they conduct this type of research
study using various methods like observational methods in supermarkets.
By also surveying while collecting in-depth demographic information,
offers insights about the preference of different markets. This can also help
tailor make the rubs and spreads to various preferred meats in that
demographic. Conducting this type of research helps the organization tweak
their business model and amplify marketing in core markets.
 2. Another example of where this research can be used is if a school district
wishes to evaluate teachers’ attitudes about using technology in the
classroom. By conducting surveys and observing their comfortableness
using technology through observational methods, the researcher can gauge
what they can help understand if a full-fledged implementation can face an
issue. This also helps in understanding if the students are impacted in any
way with this change.
Some other problems and research questions that can lead to descriptive research
are:

• Market researchers want to observe the habits of consumers.

• A company wants to evaluate the morale of its staff.
• A school district wants to understand if students will access online lessons
rather than textbooks.
• To understand if its wellness programs enhance the overall health of the
employees.
 Experimental Design
Definition
In Statistics, the experimental design or the design of experiment (DOE) is defined
as the design of an information-gathering experiment in which a variation is present
or not, and it should be performed under the full control of the researcher. This term
is generally used for controlled experiments. These experiments minimise the effects
of the variable to increase the reliability of the results. In this design, the process of
an experimental unit may include a group of people, plants, animals, etc.

Types of Experimental Designs

There are different types of experimental designs of research. They are:

• Pre-experimental Research Design

• True-experimental Research Design
• Quasi-Experimental Research Design
In this article, we are going to discuss these different experimental designs for
research with examples.

Pre-experimental Research Design

The simplest form of experimental research design in Statistics is the pre-
experimental research design. In this method, a group or various groups are kept
under observation, after some factors are recognised for the cause and effect. This
method is usually conducted in order to understand whether further investigations
are needed for the targeted group. That is why this process is considered to be cost-
effective. This method is classified into three types, namely,

• Static Group Comparison

• One-group Pretest-posttest Experimental Research Design
• One-shot Case Study Experimental Research Design

True-experimental Research Design

This is the most accurate form of experimental research design as it relies on the
statistical hypothesis to prove or disprove the hypothesis. This is the most commonly
used method implemented in Physical Science. True experimental research design
is the only method that establishes the cause and effect relationship within the
groups. The factors which need to be satisfied in this method are:
 • Random variable
• Variable can be manipulated by the researcher
• Control Groups (A group of participants are familiar with the experimental
group, but the experimental rules do not apply to them)
• Experimental Group (Research participants where experimental rules are
applied)

Quasi-Experimental Design
A quasi-experimental design is similar to a true experimental design, but there is a
difference between the two.
In a true experiment design, the participants of the group are randomly assigned. So,
every unit has an equal chance of getting into the experimental group.
In a quasi-experimental design, the participants of the groups are not randomly
assigned. So, the researcher cannot make a cause or effect conclusion. Thus, it is not
possible to assign the participants to the group.
Apart from these types of experimental design research in statistics, there are other
two methods used in the research process such as randomized block design and
completely randomized design.

Randomised Block Design

The randomised block design is preferred in the case when the researcher is clear
about the distinct difference among the group of objects. In this design, the
experimental units are classified into subgroups of similar categories. Those groups
are randomly assigned to the group of treatment. The blocks are classified in such a
way in the variability within each block should be less than the variability among
the blocks. This block design is quite efficient as it reduces the variability and
produces a better estimation.
Example:
In a drug testing experiment, the researcher believes that age is the most significant
factor. So he divides the units according to the age groups such as

• Under 15 years old

• 15 – 35 years old
• 36 – 55 years old
• Over 55 years old

Completely Randomised Design

Of all the types, the simplest type of experimental design is the completely
randomized design, in which the participants are randomly assigned to the treatment
groups. The main advantage of using this method is that it avoids bias and controls
the role of chance. This method provides a solid foundation for Statistical analysis
as it allows the use of probability theory.

Application of Experimental Design

The concept of experimental design is applied to Engineering, Natural Science and
Social Science as well. The areas in which the experimental designs used are:

• Evaluation of physical structures, materials and components

• Chemical formulations
• Computer programs
• Opinion polls
• Natural experiments
• Statistical surveys