How to Create a Strong Research Design: 2-minute Summary | Scribbr 🎓

0:00A research design is a plan for answering a research question using empirical data.

0:06Creating a research design involves making a series of choices about the

0:10type of research you’ll do and how you’ll do it. You need to decide on:

0:14Your overall aims and approach The type of design you’ll use

0:18How you’ll select participants Your data collection methods

0:23The procedures you’ll follow Your data analysis strategies

0:31In this playlist, I’ll walk you through these key steps,

0:33using an example research problem to help you understand each choice. By the end,

0:39you’ll have a clear, concrete plan for collecting and analyzing your data.

0:43First up, let’s take a quick run through the key choices and what they mean.

0:49First, you need to define the aim of your research.

0:52Based on this aim, you’ll make a choice for your research approach:

0:56A quantitative approach deals with numbers and statistics,

1:01A qualitative approach deals with words and meanings,

1:06A mixed methods approach integrates aspects of both.

1:10Within each approach, there are many types of research design to choose from.

1:15For example, in quantitative research,

1:18you might choose an experimental design to test a cause-and-effect relationship.

1:23In qualitative research, you might choose a case study design to dive into a specific context.

1:30Next, you’ll define who will participate in your research.

1:34What population will you focus on, and how will you select a sample of individuals

1:39to collect data from? Then, you’ll choose

1:42your methods of collecting data. For example,will you ask people questions

1:47directly using surveys or interviews, orwill you use observations to collect data unobtrusively?

1:55The procedures concern exactly how you’ll use your chosen design and methods.

2:00For example, how will you reliably measure your variables? What steps will you take in

2:05collecting and managing the data? Finally, you need to determine

2:09how you’ll analyze your data. That might involve choosing statistical

2:13tests that match your variables, or planning your approach to coding and interpreting the data.

2:20Now that you've got a rough idea of the steps you will take in designing your research, it's

2:25time to get your hands dirty. Click this video to learn about defining your aims and approach!