• Your research design is the plan that describes the methods and procedures you will use to collect and analyze your research data.
• It ensures that your research will answer the research question and control the variance.
Your research design will help you to:
1. Collect the relevant data and use the required techniques.
2. Get reliable results with minimized cost.
3. Get maximal information with minimized effort, time, and cost.
4. Provide direction and facilitate the operation of research.
5. Document your research for review by other experts.
A good research design meets the following criteria:
1. Objective: it will give precise results from the collected data.
2. Reliable: it will yield consistent results.
3. Valid: it will use valid tools for the measurement.
4. General: it applies to all sample sizes, including large groups.
5. It provides adequate information.
6. It will minimize bias in the results.
7. The design will be flexible and efficient to minimize the cost.
Research methodology is the way (methods, approaches, and designs) by which you conduct your research.
Your research methodology affects the validity of results, so to get valid results you must select a sound methodology.
Research methodology involves the following sequential steps:
1. Formulation of the research question
2. Research design
3. Samples selection
4. Writing a research proposal
5. Collection of data
6. Processing of data
7. Writing a research report.