How to write a good research design

How to write a good research design

 What is a good research design? 

The research design represents the arrangement of data collection and analysis in a manner aimed at reconciling its relevance for research with the economic situation in mind. In fact, research design is the intellectual structure within which research is conducted, and is also a plan for collecting, measuring and analyzing data. In this way, the design requires an outline of what the researcher will write from the hypothesis in its practical form to the final analysis of the data. For further clarification, the design concerns the following issues:

• What is the subject of the research study?
• Why study?
• Where will the study be done?
• What data are required?
• Where will the required data be found?
• How long will the study be?
• How will the research sample be designed?
• What information collection techniques will be used?
• How will the data be analyzed?
• In what way will the report be prepared?

By taking the design decisions mentioned above, the overall research design can be divided into the following parts:

• Sample research design: This section is concerned with the method of selecting the elements to be observed in the study.
• Observation research design: This section relates to the circumstances under which the observation will take place.
• Statistical research design: It concerns the question of how many elements will be observed and how the information and data collected will be analyzed.
• Practical research design: This section concerns the techniques and methods by which the procedures specified in the sample designs, observation and analysis will be implemented.

 What are the two examples of qualitative data? 

This type of qualitative data can often not be represented by numbers. They are often represented in natural language. This type of qualitative data is divided into two types:

Nominal Data: Data in non-numerical form and cannot be differentiated and consists of mutually exclusive groups such as questions that answer yes or no, or the question of gender, there are two classes either male or female, or the question of marital status (Married - Single - Divorced - Widowed). These answers are usually marked as yes by (1) or by (0). It is a mistake to perform calculations on these symbols as is evident in the example given in the beginning.

Ordinal Data: It is also non-numerical and cannot be computed. The difference between them and nominal data is the process of differentiation and arrangement between classes. In hierarchical data, you can arrange the data, such as level of education (primary- intermediate- secondary- university), or average monthly income (<5000, 5000-10000,> 10000). We note in this question that there is a kind of trade-off and class between the options.

 How do you develop a good research design? 

In order to develop the research design well, the scientific researcher must develop each of the following points:

1. Writing the general introduction of the research design: The scientific researcher presents the problem, and the studies that were conducted around it, and identifies the main and minor points that he wishes to study, while clarifying the dimensions of the problem. In addition to formulating it carefully after defining all its dimensions and main and sub points.
2. Determining the objectives of the research design: It is divided into a scientific goal and another practical. The scientific goal is to add, modify or enrich a theory. As for the scientific goal, it is intended to address a social problem by studying and analyzing to reveal its causes and effects in order to provide effective solutions or useful recommendations.
3. Defining the theoretical structure of the research design: The scientific researcher defines the theoretical framework that will guide him in his research, and provides him with the concepts that will form a material for his research variables, hypotheses and issues. The researcher can define the theories that frame his research design, as well as the approaches that he uses in approaching the topic and the interpretation of the data he gets later.
4. Defining the concepts and assumptions used in the research design: Define the concepts that make up the variables of the research design. The scientific researcher formulates the assumptions in the light of the information obtained from previous studies and in the light of the theoretical framework and the observations it reaches.
5. Defining methodological procedures for research design: The scientific researcher defines the appropriate approaches to research design, and the appropriate tools for collecting data, as well as defining the three areas of research design: human, spatial, and time
6. Defining methods of statistical analysis of data of the research design: In this part of the research design, the scientific researcher shows the standards and tests that the researcher will use in his research design.
7. Defining the way data is presented: The researcher determines the methods that he will use to display the results of his research, such as graphs, tables and maps.
8. Determining the type of possible explanations of the research design: The scientific researcher determines the proposed explanations and it helps to reach the desired results for the research design. Often this is done with the help of the scientific researcher in the theoretical models and approaches that the researcher relied on in his study.

 What are the strengths and weaknesses of questionnaires? 

One of the most important strengths of the survey is that it enables us to obtain a huge amount of information in a short period of time. The questionnaire is also the least costly way of collecting information, whether in the effort or money spent. Moreover, the survey questions are not subject to change or amendment.

Despite these advantages, the questionnaire also has weaknesses that the questionnaire is for the educated community only. This means that it is often used by developed countries, which are characterized by a high cultural level among different groups of their societies, unlike the underdeveloped countries, which are characterized by widespread illiteracy and ignorance among the popular circles in these societies.

Also, the most important weakness of the questionnaire is also the inability of the respondents to notice the reactions of the researchers, who are the owners of the questionnaires because there are a number of questionnaires that are usually sent by mail.

 Watch: 10 FEATURES OF A GOOD RESEARCH DESIGN IN HINDI 

With greetings: Al - Manara Consulting to help researchers and graduate students