Research Methodology

Research Methodology

A framework that specifies the type of hypothesis, type of data, research approach, and type of analysis used to test a research question.

Components of Research Methodology

(1) Type of hypothesis, (2) Type of data collected, (3) Research approach, and (4) Type of analysis conducted.

Qualitative Research

Research that explores “why” questions using non-numerical, descriptive data analyzed through interpretation.

Quantitative Research

Research that examines “how many” or “how much” questions using numerical data analyzed statistically.

Exploratory Research

Research conducted to gain insights and preliminary understanding when knowledge about a problem is limited.

Indirect Methods

Qualitative techniques that tap into consumers’ minds using implicit and unobtrusive approaches.

Projective Techniques

Methods that ask individuals to interpret others’ behavior to reveal their own underlying thoughts and feelings.

Word Association Test

A technique where participants respond with the first word that comes to mind when presented with a stimulus word.

Demands Bias

Bias that occurs when participants respond in ways they think the researcher expects.

Social Desirability Bias

Bias that occurs when participants respond in ways that make them appear socially acceptable.

Reactance Bias

Bias that occurs when participants intentionally respond opposite to a suggested idea.

Sentence Completion Test

A technique where participants complete an incomplete sentence to reveal brand associations.

Picture Interpretation Test

A technique where participants provide images representing a brand to reveal their thought processes.

Observation Studies

Research that involves observing people in their natural environment to understand unarticulated needs.

Direct Methods

Qualitative techniques that directly ask participants about their thoughts and feelings.

Depth Interview

A one-on-one, in-depth questioning method used to explore detailed psychological insights about a brand or product.

Laddering

A questioning technique that moves from product characteristics to user characteristics to uncover core values and meanings.

Focus Group Discussion (FGD)

A guided group interview that collects qualitative data through moderated discussion.

Homogeneity (FGD)

The principle that focus group participants should share similar backgrounds to promote meaningful interaction.

Thematic Analysis

An interpretative analysis method that identifies common themes and patterns from qualitative data.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to favor evidence that confirms preexisting beliefs during analysis.

Inter-Rater Bias

Differences in interpretation that occur when multiple researchers define themes differently.

Content Analysis

An interpretative method that counts occurrences of words, themes, or emotions in qualitative data.

Data Reduction

The process of summarizing qualitative data into meaningful themes or numerical counts.

Internal Validity

The degree of confidence that a research finding reflects a true causal relationship between variables.

External Validity

The degree of confidence that research findings can be generalized to other contexts.

Causal Research

Research designed to determine whether one variable directly causes changes in another, typically through experiments.

High Internal Validity

Strong confidence that the treatment (X) directly caused the outcome (Y).

Low Internal Validity

Uncertainty about whether the treatment (X) caused the outcome (Y) due to possible alternative explanations.

High External Validity

Strong confidence that findings can be generalized across different contexts or populations.

Low External Validity

Limited confidence that findings apply beyond the specific research context.

Working Knowledge

Preliminary understanding gained from exploratory research that helps identify elements to examine further.

Correlation

A relationship between variables indicating that they move together, but not necessarily that one causes the other.

Predictor

A variable that can be used to forecast future outcomes once causal relationships are established