RESEARCH METHODOLOGY INTERVIEW QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Question 1. What Is Research Methodology?

Research methodology is a collective term for the structured process of conducting research.
There are many different methodologies used in various types of research and the term is usually
considered to include research design, data gathering and data analysis.
There are two main types of research methodology,
Quantitative methodology,
Qualitative methodology.

Question 2. When Is A Qualitative Research Methodology Appropriate?

A qualitative research study is appropriate when you need to tap into the hearts and minds of the
customer.
A highly subjective research discipline, qualitative research is specifically designed to look
"beyond the percentages" to gain an understanding of the customer's feelings, impressions and
viewpoints. Such intuitive, highly subjective personal input can only be obtained through
qualitative research.

Strengths:

Small samples, sharp focus: Qualitative research is laser-focused, dealing only with smaller
samples.
Probing interviews: Expert moderators, unencumbered by the time constraints of a quantitative
survey, use a multitude of techniques during lengthy interviews to obtain in-depth information.
Rich responses: The interviews, which last as long as two hours, allow the moderator to elicit
extremely candid, highly complex responses.

Question 3. When Are Both Quantitative And Qualitative Methods Beneficial?

Certain types of projects benefit from the strategic application of quantitative and qualitative
methodologies. A recent study we completed for a computer monitor manufacturer illustrates this
point.

Question 4. How Can I Determine Product Demand After A Change In Price, Features And/or
Distribution Channels?
Research's simulation software is designed to analyze and answer these types of "what if?"
scenarios. By changing the product's price or features, the simulation software will automatically
show the resulting price share of your company's product and all competing products. The
simulation software is custom written based on the results of a choice modeling survey.
With the simulation software, we can see the incremental change in share gained from a change
in product, as well as which competitors products lose the market share your company gains.
This is quite valuable in assessing possible competitor responses.

Question 5. What Is The Observational Method Of Research?

In naturalistic observational research the observer does not intervene at all. The researcher is
invisible and works hard not to interrupt the natural dynamics of the situation being investigated.

Question 6. What Do I Need To Consider When Doing Observational Research?

Try to be “invisible”, do not get involved in the dynamics of the situation.
Use all of your senses, not just your sense of vision. Record the sounds, smells and tastes (if
applicable).
Record your impressions and feelings. How do you feel while observing? Were you frightened,
surprised, anxious, amused, excited? Relate what you were feeling to what you were observing.
Record the context of the situation: place, time, participants, numbers of participants, gender of
participants, etc.
Record what you were thinking during the observation. Did the situation remind you of
something similar? Had you experienced something similar. What do you think the participants
were thinking about while you were observing?
Record all of your information in a journal. Use shorthand or abbreviations if necessary.

Question 7. What Are The Issues, Or Concerns In Conducting Observational Research?

Completeness of information recorded is critical to gain a complete understanding of the
dynamics of the situation.
Accuracy of the information recorded. Did you miss anything? Did you record it exactly as you
observed it?
Bias. Did I “add” to what I observed by presuming or assuming something that did not exist?
Would someone else who had not observed the same thing be able to get a clear, correct picture
of what you observed by reading your notes?
Confidentiality. Be sure not to name people or places in your presentation of the information.
You have not asked for their permission to conduct research, and so therefore they have to right
to remain anonymous. Refer to the general situation, for example, a school playground, an urban
mall, a farm, a family gathering, etc.
Videotaping, audiotaping or taking photographs of the situation is infringing on the participant’s
rights to privacy. Use only your written notes.

Question 19. What Is Q Methodology?

Q Methodology is a research method used to study people's "subjectivity" -- that is, their
viewpoint. Q Methodology was originally developed by William Stephenson (1902-1989), an
Englishman trained in physics (Ph.D., 1926), psychology (Ph.D., 1929) and psychometrics under
the tutelage of Charles Spearman and Sir Cyril Burt. It has been used both in clinical settings for
assessing patients, as well as in research settings to examine how people think about a topic.

Question 21. What Do We Mean By "scientific Study" And Why Is This Important?
A study is regarded as scientific if the following three standards have been met:

Structured observations are made from which valid conclusions may be drawn.
The research and its conclusions are subjected to peer review.
The findings are refutable.

Question 22. Why Is Scientific Study Important?

It enables us to acquire knowledge based on verifiable evidence.

Question 23. What Does Double-blind Mean?

When a "double-blind" procedure is used in a study, it means that neither the participants nor the
researchers know which condition the participants have been assigned to. For example, a
researcher may want to find out whether it is the sugar in the chocolate or just the idea that eating
chocolate makes people happy, that improves a person’s mood. One way to do this, would be to
use a double-blind study in which participants were given either normal chocolate or sugar free
chocolate and neither the researchers nor the participants will be able to tell which chocolate they
had been given.

Question 27. Analyse Multi-stage And Sequential Sampling?

Multi-stage sampling:
In multi-stage sampling method, sampling is carried out in two or more stages. The population is
regarded as being composed of a number of second stage units and so forth. That is, at each
stage, a sampling unit is a cluster of the sampling units of the subsequent stage. First, a sample of
the first stage sampling units is drawn, then from each of the selected first stage sampling unit, a
sample of the second stage sampling units is drawn. The procedure continues down to the final
sampling units or population elements. Appropriate random sampling method is adopted at each
stage. It is appropriate where the population is scattered over a wider geographical area and no
frame or list is available for sampling. It is also useful when a survey has to be made within a
limited time and cost budget. The major disadvantage is that the procedure of estimating
sampling error and cost advantage is complicated.

Sequential sampling:
Sequential sampling is a non-probability sampling technique wherein the researcher picks a
single or a group of subjects in a given time interval, conducts his study, analyses the results then
picks another group of subjects if needed and so on. This sampling technique gives the
researcher limitless chances of fine tuning his research methods and gaining a vital insight into
the study that he is currently pursuing. There is very little effort in the part of the researcher
when performing this sampling technique. It is not expensive, not time consuming and not
workforce extensive. This sampling method is hardly representative of the entire population. Its
only hope of approaching representativeness is when the researcher chose to use a very large
sample size significant enough to represent a big fraction of the entire population. Due to the
aforementioned disadvantages, results from this sampling technique cannot be used to create
conclusions and interpretations pertaining to the entire population.

Question 29. How Do You Evolve Research Design For Exploratory Research? Briefly Analyze.
Research design for exploratory research:
Research simply means a search for facts – answers to questions and solutions to problems. It is
a purposive investigation. It is an organized inquiry. It seeks to find explanations to unexplained
phenomenon to clarify the doubtful facts and to correct the misconceived facts. Although any
typology of research is inevitably arbitrary, Research may be classified crudely according to its
major intent or the methods.
It is also known as formulating research. It is preliminary study of an unfamiliar problem about
which the researcher has little or no knowledge. It is ill-structured and much less focused on pre-
determined objectives. It usually takes the form of a pilot study. The purpose of this research
may be to generate new ideas, or to increase the researcher’s familiarity with the problem or to
make a precise formulation of the problem or to gather information for clarifying concepts or to
determine whether it is feasible to attempt the study. Katz conceptualizes two levels of
exploratory studies. “At the first level is the discovery of the significant variable in the situations;
at the second, the discovery of relationships between variables.”

Question 30. Explain The Important Concepts In Research Design?

The research designer understandably cannot hold all his decisions in his head. Even if he could,
he would have difficulty in understanding how these are inter-related. Therefore, he records his
decisions on paper or record disc by using relevant symbols or concepts. Such a symbolic
construction may be called the research design or model. A research design is a logical and
systematic plan prepared for directing a research study. It specifies the objectives of the study,
the methodology and techniques to be adopted for achieving the objectives. It constitutes the
blue print for the plan is the overall scheme or program of research. A research design is the
program that guides the investigator in the process of collecting, analysing and interpreting
observations. It provides a systematic plan of procedure for the researcher to follow elltiz, Jahoda
and Destsch and Cook describe, “A research design is the arrangement of conditions for
collection and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research
purpose with economy in procedure.”

Question 31. Components Of Research Design?

It is important to be familiar with the important concepts relating to research design. They are:
Dependent and Independent variables
Extraneous variable
Control
Confounded relationship.

Question 32. What Are The Steps Involved For The Research Design?
Research design is the conceptual structure within which research would be conducted.
The function of research design is to provide for the collection of relevant information with
minimal expenditure of effort, time and money.
The preparation of research design, appropriate for a particular research problem, involves the
consideration of the following :

Objectives of the research study.

Method of Data Collection to be adopted
Source of information—Sample Design
Tool for Data collection
Data Analysis-- qualitative and quantitative.

Question 33. What Are The Steps Involved In Research Process?

The Steps involved in Research Process are:

Formulating the Research Problem

Extensive Literature Review
Developing the objectives
Preparing the Research Design including Sample Design
Collecting the Data
Analysis of Data
Generalization and Interpretation
Preparation of the Report or Presentation of Results-Formal write ups of conclusions reached.