What is a research design in investigatory project?

Answer 1

5.1 Research Design and Data Collection

This section of the Research Gateway will provide you with information on the steps you

should follow in order to actually do your project. This is arguably the most important part

of your project because if you make mistakes with the way you carry out the project your

research has the potential to be invalid and unreliable. The process to be followed can

be broken into four steps. First, you need to define your research problem by reviewing

the relevant existing literature on the topic and using this to generate research

questions. Second, you will have to establish a plan to ensure that the investigation is

carried out. This is the research design phase of your project and requires you to think

about the type of research you are doing and the approach that that you will take to it. At

this stage you will also have to consider the ethics, reliability and validity of your project

as these issues can seriously undermine your research. Third, you will need to consider

how you are actually going to collect your data - what research instruments will you

use? Finally, all of this will be reported in the Methodology section of your project.

By now you should realise that the research part of the project is the substantive portion

of the work that you are required to do. Not only do you have to design your research,

but you also have to carry it out and then report it. This is a complex process requiring

you to make a number of key decisions about what you need to find out and how to find

it. The resources provided in this section of the Gateway will help you to make these

decisions. They provide information on:

• the principles of research design - the type of questions to be

answered and the best way of answering these will determine the

approach to be taken to the study;

• the type of study - there are general approaches to carrying out

research that need to be considered when deciding how to collect data.

The choice of which is appropriate is fundamental to the success of the

research;

• methods of data collection - the methodological approaches referred to

above tend to be associated with particular types of data collection

methods. It is important to choose the right data collection method(s)

as this will allow data to be collected that will meet the objectives of the

research;

• methodological reporting - there is a need to explain to the reader how

the results were obtained so that your research can be evaluated fully.

As always, use the Gateway resources appropriately. There are a substantial number

of resources available in this section and it is important that you first, identify which are

appropriate for your research and second, consider the data in the light of what your

institution requires of you. You need to use these resources purposefully - to help you

perform to your best in meeting the specific requirements of your own institution.

Don't forget that your institution will have expectations of you and your project. These

override any information that you get from this Gateway. Bear in mind that you may be

able to successfully complete your project without using the Gateway, but you are

unlikely to succeed if you fail to take account of what your institution requires!

THAT's ALL:)