Unit 1: Research design and data collection
Business Research Methods notes · PTU syllabus (MCOP203-18)
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Unit summary
Research turns business questions into evidence. This unit covers the meaning, objectives and process of research, selecting and defining a research problem, reviewing literature, research designs — descriptive, diagnostic, exploratory and experimental — primary and secondary data sources, and questionnaire construction.
After this unit you can
- Explain the meaning, objectives and process of research
- Select and define a research problem and review literature
- Compare research designs
- Explain sources of data and construct a questionnaire
PTU syllabus topics
- Meaning
- objectives and process of research
- selecting and defining a research problem
- review of literature
- research design types (descriptive, diagnostic, exploratory, experimental)
- primary and secondary data sources
- questionnaire construction and design
- 1
Identify the problem
- 2
Review literature
- 3
Set objectives and hypotheses
- 4
Choose research design
- 5
Collect data
Primary and secondary
- 6
Analyse and test
- 7
Report findings
Topic 1
Meaning, objectives and scope
Business research is a systematic and objective process of gathering, recording and analysing data to aid business decision-making. Objectives: to explore a new area, describe a situation, diagnose causes, test hypotheses and predict outcomes. Scope: marketing research (consumer behaviour, advertising), financial research, HR research (attrition, satisfaction), production and operations, and strategy.
Topic 2
The research process
- 1
Define the research problem
- 2
Review the literature
- 3
Formulate objectives and hypotheses
- 4
Choose the research design
- 5
Decide sampling and data collection
- 6
Collect data
- 7
Analyse and interpret data
- 8
Write and present the report
Limitations: time and cost, respondent bias, sampling errors, difficulty measuring human behaviour, and changing environments.
Topic 3
Formulating the research problem
A well-defined problem is half solved. Steps: identify the broad area, understand the background, review literature, narrow the problem, state it clearly with objectives and research questions.
Example
Broad: "Low sales". Defined: "Why have repeat purchases of our herbal shampoo among women aged 20–35 in Ludhiana fallen by 15% in the last six months?"
Topic 4
Review of literature
- Purpose: understand what is already known, identify the research gap, refine the problem, choose methods and variables, avoid duplication, build the theoretical framework.
- Sources: journals (via Google Scholar, JSTOR, EBSCO, Shodhganga for Indian theses), books, reports (RBI, NSSO, CMIE), working papers, conference proceedings.
- Process: search with keywords → screen abstracts → read and take notes → organise by themes → synthesise and identify gaps → cite properly (APA/Harvard).
Topic 5
Research designs
Exploratory
Gain insight into a vague problem
Literature, expert interviews, focus groups, case studies
Descriptive
Describe characteristics of a situation or group
Surveys, observation
Diagnostic
Find the causes of a problem
Surveys with analysis of relationships
Experimental (causal)
Test cause and effect
Controlled experiments, test markets
Topic 6
Primary and secondary data; observation and surveys
| Primary data methods | Secondary data sources |
|---|---|
| Observation | Government publications (Census, RBI) |
| Surveys (personal, telephone, mail, online) | Company records and annual reports |
| Interviews and focus groups | Journals, newspapers, databases |
| Experiments | Websites and industry reports |
Data from
Watching behaviour
Asking questions
Strength
Records actual behaviour, no respondent bias
Collects opinions, attitudes, motives
Weakness
Cannot capture feelings or reasons; costly
Response bias, non-response
Example
Watching shoppers in a store
Online customer satisfaction questionnaire
Topic 7
Questionnaire construction
- Structured (fixed questions and options) vs unstructured (open questions).
- Disguised (purpose hidden) vs non-disguised (purpose clear).
- Administered personally, by mail, by telephone or online (Google Forms).
- Question types: open-ended, closed (dichotomous yes/no, multiple choice) and scale-based.
Topic 8
Questionnaire design guidelines
- 1
Decide the information needed
- 2
Choose the method of administration
- 3
Decide question content and type
- 4
Word questions carefully
- 5
Sequence them logically
Easy, general first; sensitive last
- 6
Design the layout
- 7
Pre-test (pilot) and revise
Avoid: leading questions ("Don't you agree our product is the best?"), double-barrelled questions (two questions in one), jargon, ambiguous words, and questions that rely on memory or are too personal.
Key terms
- Research
- Systematic investigation to establish facts or answer questions
- Research problem
- The specific issue the study seeks to address
- Research design
- Plan for collecting and analysing data
- Primary data
- Data collected first-hand for the study
- Questionnaire
- Structured set of questions for collecting data
Quick revision
- Research process: problem → literature → hypothesis → design → sampling → data → analysis → report.
- Literature review identifies the gap.
- Designs: exploratory, descriptive, diagnostic, experimental.
- Primary (survey, observation, experiment) vs secondary data.
- Questionnaire: clear, unbiased, logical sequence, pilot-tested.
Important exam questions
Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).
Short-answer questions
- Q1.Define research.
- Q2.What is a research gap?
- Q3.Distinguish exploratory and descriptive research.
- Q4.What is an experimental design?
- Q5.State two sources of secondary data.
- Q6.What is pilot testing of a questionnaire?
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Explain the research process.
- Q2.Explain how a research problem is selected and defined.
- Q3.Explain the types of research designs.
- Q4.Explain the construction and design of a questionnaire.
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