RESEARCH DESIGN

MA student will recognize the types of research design 

MA student will have the ability to choose the appropriate research design for their research inquiry

7.1. What is a research design ?

A research design is a procedural plan that is adopted by the researcher to answer questions validly, objectively, accurately and economically. According to Selltiz, Deutsch and Cook, ‘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’ (1962: 50). Through a research design you decide for yourself and communicate to others your decisions regarding what study design you propose to use, how you are going to collect information from your respondents, how you are going to select your respondents, how the information you are going to collect is to be analysed and how you are going to communicate your findings. In addition, you will need to detail in your research design the rationale and justification for each decision that shapes your answers to the ‘how’ of the research journey. In presenting your rationale and justification you need to support them critically from the literature reviewed. You also need to assure yourself and others that the path you have proposed will yield valid and reliable results.

7.2. What are the functions of research design?

The above definitions suggest that a research design has two main functions. The first relates to the identification and/or development of procedures and logistical arrangements required to undertake a study, and the second emphasises the importance of quality in these procedures to ensure their validity, objectivity and accuracy. Hence, through a research design you: • conceptualise an operational plan to undertake the various procedures and tasks required to complete your study;  • ensure that these procedures are adequate to obtain valid, objective and accurate answers to the research questions. Kerlinger calls this function the control of variance (1986: 280).

Let us take the first of these functions. The research design should detail for you, your supervisor and other readers all the procedures you plan to use and the tasks you are going to perform to obtain answers to your research questions. One of the most important requirements

 

of a research design is to specify everything clearly so a reader will understand what procedures to follow and how to follow them. A research design, therefore, should do the following:

r  1. name the study design per se – that is, ‘cross-sectional’, ‘before-and-after’, ‘comparative’, ‘control experiment’ or ‘random control’.

r   2. provide detailed information about the following aspects of the study:

Ø  Who makes up the study population? (subjects)

Ø  How will the study population be identified? ( sampling methods)

Ø  Will a sample or the whole population be selected?

Ø   If a sample is selected, how will it be contacted? ( in person, postal mail, email, online and so)

Ø   how will consent be sought? ( participants should be informed in ways prior participating in the research study)

Ø   What method of data collection will be used and why?( research instruments)

Ø   In the case of a questionnaire, where will the responses be returned?

Ø   how should respondents contact you if they have queries?

Ø   In the case of interviews, where will they be conducted?

Ø   how will ethical issues be taken care of?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Activity

Fill out the table from the given sample of research paper N 01

 

Elements of study design	Examples of study design of a research paper
r  Study design ?
1.      Who makes up the study population? (subjects)
2.      How will the study population be identified? ( sampling methods)
3.      Will a sample or the whole population be selected?
4.       If a sample is selected, how will it be contacted? ( in person, postal mail, email, online and so)
5.       how will consent be sought? ( participants should be informed in ways prior participating in the research study)
6.       What method of data collection will be used and why?( research instruments)
7.      In the case of a questionnaire, where will the responses be returned?
9.       how should respondents contact you if they have queries?
10.   In the case of interviews, where will they be conducted?
11.   how will ethical issues be taken care of?