Exploring cost as an essential component in teaching research design: implications for external funding

摘要

In advocating the budget component in research design, a cost analysis assignment was developed and implemented in a graduate research methods course. A case study was prepared to provide students with a comparative situation for udnerstanding the benefits derived from the cost analysis process. The case focused on the preferences of design features with regard to jackets worn by career women. To ensure similar methodology was addressed, four specific parameters were established; (1) national-cross section of 1,000 consumers, (2) self-administered survey instrument, (3) stimulus materials for apparel evalaution, and (40 conventional and electronic data collection options.