Research

Design
 Intended Learning
Outcomes
1. Define research design and its
importance in research projects.
2. Describe the different kinds and
of research design and distinguish
the experimental from non -
experimental designs.
3. Determine the appropriate
research design/s for specific
types of research problems.
4. Select an appropriate design for
their own research problem.
What is a Research Design?
It outlines the Choosing the
Research overall structure of right design is
your study, including essential for
design is the
the type of data you ensuring the
roadmap that will collect, the validity,
guides your methods you will reliability, and
research use, and how you credibility of
journey will analyze the your research
results findings
 Three Groups of Research Design

Mixed
Qualitative Quantitative
Methods

Observational Convergent
Narrative Non-experimental Experiments
Studies parallel

Phenomenological Descriptive/ Explanatory

research Surveys sequential

Causal-
Exploratory
Grounded theory comparative
sequential
research

Correlational
Ethnography
design

Case studies
Qualitative Research Design
 This is an approach for exploring and understanding the meaning
individuals or groups ascribe to a social or human problem.
 The process of research involves emerging questions and procedures,
data typically collected in the participant’s setting, data analysis
inductively building from particulars to general themes, and the
researcher making interpretations of the meaning of the data.
 The final written report has a flexible structure.
 Those who engage in this form of inquiry support a way of looking at
research that honors an inductive style, a focus on individual meaning,
and the importance of rendering the complexity of a situation.
Qualitative Research Design
 In other words, qualitative research, focuses on understanding subjective
experiences, perceptions, and meanings. It employs methods that capture
the richness and complexity of individuals' lives through:
a) Interviews: In-depth conversations with individuals to explore their
thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to the research topic.
b) Focus Groups: Group discussions facilitated by a moderator to gather
insights from multiple participants on a shared topic.
c) Document Analysis: Examining written materials like diaries, letters, or
social media posts to understand individuals' perspectives and experiences
Qualitative Research Design
 Example: A study exploring the lived experiences of cancer
patients undergoing chemotherapy might use in-depth
interviews to understand their emotional and physical
challenges, coping mechanisms, and support networks.
This qualitative approach allows researchers to capture
the unique nuances of individual experiences, providing
valuable insights that cannot be easily quantified
Narrative Research
✓It is a design of inquiry from the humanities
in which the researcher studies the lives of
individuals and asks one or more individuals
to provide stories about their lives.
✓This information is then often retold or
restoried by the researcher into a narrative
chronology.
✓Often, in the end, the narrative combines
views from the participant’s life with those
of the researcher’s life in a collaborative
narrative.
Phenomenological research
✓It is a design of inquiry coming from
philosophy and psychology in which the
researcher describes the lived experiences
of individuals about a phenomenon as
described by participants.
✓This description culminates in the essence
of the experiences for several individuals
who have all experienced the phenomenon.
✓This design has strong philosophical
underpinnings and typically involves
conducting interviews.
Grounded Theory
✓It is a design of inquiry from sociology
in which the researcher derives a
general, abstract theory of a process,
action, or interaction grounded in the
views of participants.
✓This process involves using multiple
stages of data collection and the
refinement and interrelationship of
categories of information
Ethnography
✓It is a design of inquiry coming from
anthropology and sociology in which
the researcher studies the shared
patterns of behaviors, language, and
actions of an intact cultural group in a
natural setting over a prolonged
period. Data collection often involves
observations and interviews
Case Studies
✓These are a design of inquiry found in many
fields, especially evaluation, in which the
researcher develops an in-depth analysis of
a case, often a program, event, activity,
process, or one or more individuals.
✓Cases are bounded by time and activity,
and researchers collect detailed
information using a variety of data
collection procedures over a sustained
period
Quantitative Research Design
 Quantitative research emphasizes
measurable data, typically numerical, to test
hypotheses and examine relationships
between variables. This approach often
utilizes structured methods through:
 Surveys: Questionnaires administered to
large groups to gather data on opinions,
attitudes, and behaviors (e.g., using Likert
scales or multiple-choice questions
Non-experimental Design

i. Causal-comparative research in which the investigator compares two or more

groups in terms of a cause (or independent variable) that has already happened.
ii. Correlational design in which investigators use the correlational statistic to
describe and measure the degree or association (or relationship) between two
or more variables or sets of scores.
 These designs have been elaborated into more complex relationships among
variables found in techniques of structural equation modeling, hierarchical linear
modeling, and logistic regression.
 More recently, quantitative strategies have involved complex experiments with
many variables and treatments (e.g., factorial designs and repeated measure
designs).
 They have also included elaborate structural equation models that incorporate
causal paths and the identification of the collective strength of multiple variables.
Quantitative Research Design

 Experiments: Controlled settings where

variables are manipulated to observe their
impact on other variables (e.g., testing the
effectiveness of a new drug in a clinical trial).
 Observational Studies: Systematic
observation of phenomena without
manipulating variables (e.g., studying the
behavior of animals in their natural habitat)
Quantitative Research Design
 Example:
 Imagine a study investigating the effect of a new
teaching method (independent variable) on student
achievement (dependent variable) in math.
 Researchers might use a randomized controlled trial
where students are randomly assigned to either the new
method or a traditional method.
 Standardized math tests could then be administered to
measure achievement in both groups.
 By analyzing the data statistically, researchers can assess
whether the new method leads to significant
improvements in student learning compared to the
traditional method, potentially generalizing these
findings to other classrooms or schools
Mixed Methods Research Design

This is an approach to inquiry involving collecting both quantitative

and qualitative data, integrating the two forms of data, and using
distinct designs that may involve philosophical assumptions and
theoretical frameworks
The core assumption of this form of inquiry is that the combination of
qualitative and quantitative approaches provides a more complete
understanding of a research problem than either approach alone

Mixed methods research recognizes the strengths and limitations of

both quantitative and qualitative approaches. It combines these
methods within a single study to provide a more comprehensive
understanding of a research topic
Mixed Methods Research Design

This triangulation allows researchers to:

a. Complement quantitative findings with rich qualitative

data for deeper interpretation.
b. Validate qualitative findings through quantitative data
for increased credibility.
c. Explore complex phenomena that cannot be fully
understood using a single method
Mixed Methods Research Design

 Example:
A study examining the factors influencing teachers'
decisions about using technology in the classroom might
combine surveys to gather quantitative data on teachers'
technology use and focus group discussions to explore their
perceptions, attitudes, and challenges in integrating
technology into their teaching practices.
This mixed methods approach provides a more holistic
understanding of the issue than either method alone could
achieve
Mixed Methods Research Design

 Convergent parallel mixed methods

It is a form of mixed methods design in which the
researcher converges or merges quantitative and
qualitative data to provide a comprehensive analysis of the
research problem.
In this design, the investigator typically collects both forms
of data at roughly the same time and then integrates the
information in the interpretation of the overall results.
Contradictions or incongruent findings are explained or
further probed in this design
Mixed Methods Research Design
 Explanatory sequential mixed methods
 It is one in which the researcher first conducts quantitative research,
analyzes the results, and then builds on the results to explain them in
more detail with qualitative research.
 It is considered explanatory because the initial quantitative data results
are explained further with the qualitative data.
 It is considered sequential because the initial quantitative phase is
followed by the qualitative phase.
 This type of design is popular in fields with a strong quantitative
orientation (hence the project begins with quantitative research), but it
presents challenges of identifying the quantitative results to further
explore and the unequal sample sizes for each phase of the study
Mixed Methods Research Design
 Exploratory sequential mixed methods
 It is the reverse sequence from the explanatory sequential design.
 In this approach, the researcher first begins with a qualitative research
phase and explores the views of participants.
 The data are then analyzed, and the information used to build into a
second, quantitative phase.
 The qualitative phase may be used to build an instrument that best fits
the sample under study, to identify appropriate instruments to use in the
follow-up quantitative phase, or to specify variables that need to go into
a follow-up quantitative study.
 Challenges to this design reside in focusing in on the appropriate
qualitative findings to use and the sample selection for both phases of
research
 Selecting A Study Design
What are you What kind of Consider your

The nature of your data

Your research question

Your resources
trying to find out? information do time, budget,
Quantitative you need to
methods are collect?
and access to
better suited for Quantitative participants
testing hypotheses methods require when choosing
and measuring measurable data, a design
relationships, while qualitative
while qualitative methods can
methods are handle diverse
better suited for data types like
understanding text, images, and
experiences and audio recordings
meanings
Guidelines for a GOOD Research Design
Clarity
• Is your research question clear and well-defined?

Validity
• Does your design measure what you intend to measure?

Reliability
• Would another researcher using the same design get similar results?

Objectivity
• Are you minimizing personal bias in your design and data collection?

Generalizability (quantitative) or transferability (qualitative)

• Can your findings be applied to other contexts or populations?