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  • 5 - Choosing a Research Design

  • from Part I - From Idea to Reality: The Basics of Research
  • Edited by Austin Lee Nichols, Central European University, Vienna, John Edlund, Rochester Institute of Technology, New York
  • Book:
    The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
    Published online:
    25 May 2023
    Print publication:
    08 June 2023, pp 85-102

  • 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.