Research Design
A research design is a plan and procedures for research that include broad assumptions as well as detailed methods for data collection and data analysis. They entail development of a plan as well as a structure for an enquiry. Research designs provide a framework via which researchers can carry out a study whilst reducing certain types of errors and at the same time obtain empirical evidence on variables of interest. This paper will describe the factors considered when choosing a research design.
Factors considered when selecting a research design include the nature of research problem or issue or research question. Some research questions or issues are more amenable to certain types of research designs. Other factors considered include the threats to internal validity and external validity a research design allows and contexts provided by past studies and existing knowledge bases (Crowe et al., 2011). When choosing a research design, a researcher needs to assess threats to validity of the proposed study and types of research designs utilized in creating the prevailing knowledge base on his or her given topic. A researcher must select a research design whose strengths and shortcomings match the needs of their research question and one that will lead to the generation of the knowledge required at that particular time. Decisions on research design are also informed by worldview and personal experiences of a researcher, audiences of a study, procedures of inquiry, methods of data collection, data analysis, and interpretation, and resources available for conducting a study (Checkoway, Pearce, & Kriebel, 2007).
In summary, this paper has described factors considered when selecting a research design. The factors include the nature of research problem or question, resources available, existing knowledge on the topic of interest, and threats to internal and external validity of the study. A researcher must endeavor to select a research design that meets the needs of his or her studies whilst maximizing strengths and minimizing threats to validity of the study.
References
Checkoway, H., Pearce, N., & Kriebel, D. (2007). Selecting appropriate study designs to address specific research questions in occupational epidemiology. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 64(9), 633-638.
Crowe, S., Cresswell, K., Robertson, A., Huby, G., Avery, A., & Sheikh, A. (2011). The case study approach. BMC Medical Research Methodology. Doi: 10.1186/1471-2288-11-100
