A research design is a plan for answering
a research question using empirical data. Creating a research design involves
making a series of choices about the type of research you’ll do and how
you’ll do it. You need to decide on: Your overall aims and approach
The type of design you’ll use How you’ll select participants
Your data collection methods The procedures you’ll follow
Your data analysis strategies In this playlist, I’ll walk
you through these key steps, using an example research problem to help
you understand each choice. By the end, you’ll have a clear, concrete plan for
collecting and analyzing your data. First up, let’s take a quick run through
the key choices and what they mean. First, you need to define
the aim of your research. Based on this aim, you’ll make a
choice for your research approach: A quantitative approach deals
with numbers and statistics, A qualitative approach deals
with words and meanings, A mixed methods approach
integrates aspects of both. Within each approach, there are many
types of research design to choose from. For example, in quantitative research, you might choose an experimental design
to test a cause-and-effect relationship. In qualitative research, you might choose a case
study design to dive into a specific context. Next, you’ll define who will
participate in your research. What population will you focus on, and how
will you select a sample of individuals to collect data from?
Then, you’ll choose your methods of collecting data.
For example,will you ask people questions directly using surveys or interviews, orwill you
use observations to collect data unobtrusively? The procedures concern exactly how you’ll
use your chosen design and methods. For example, how will you reliably measure
your variables? What steps will you take in collecting and managing the data?
Finally, you need to determine how you’ll analyze your data.
That might involve choosing statistical tests that match your variables, or planning your
approach to coding and interpreting the data. Now that you've got a rough idea of the steps
you will take in designing your research, it's time to get your hands dirty. Click this video
to learn about defining your aims and approach!