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5 - Choosing a Research Design

from Part I - From Idea to Reality: The Basics of Research

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 May 2023

By
Glynis M. Breakwell
Edited by
Austin Lee Nichols  and
John Edlund
Austin Lee Nichols
Affiliation:
Central European University, Vienna
John Edlund
Affiliation:
Rochester Institute of Technology, New York
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Summary

A research design is the sequence of things done in order to collect the information needed to answer a research question. The design states which data will be sought, from which sources, at which times, and in which ways. This chapter describes the influences that shape the decisions researchers must make when constructing a research design. Research designs differ in the source of information used, whether data used are naturally occurring or a result of intervention, and the way data are elicited, recorded, and analyzed. Typically, the nature of the research question, assumptions on which it is based, and ethical considerations drive the design construction. I describe seven major influences on design choice in this chapter: research question novelty; levels of analysis and explanation used; epistemological and ontological assumptions; characteristics of data sources; data analyzability; piloting results; and various practicalities. Understanding these influences will improve research design decisions.

Keywords

Levels of AnalysisData Collection and AnalyzabilityPilotingOntologyEpistemologyDesign Practicalities
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
Volume 1: Building a Program of Research
 , pp. 85 - 102
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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