Determine appropriate research design, methods, data and tools

Research design is needed because it facilitates the smooth sailing of the various research operations, thereby making research as efficient as possible yielding maximal information with minimal expenditure of effort, time and money.

A good design is often characterised by adjectives like flexible, appropriate, efficient, economical, etc. Generally, the design which minimises bias and maximises the reliability of the data collected and analysed is considered a good design. The design which gives the smallest experimental error is supposed to be the best design in many investigations. Similarly, a design which yields maximal information and provides an opportunity for considering many different aspects of a problem is considered most appropriate and efficient design in respect of many research problems

A research design involves consideration of the following factors

(i). The means of obtaining information

(ii) The availability and skills of the researcher and his staff

(iii) The objective of the problem to be studied

(iv) The nature of the problem to be studied

(v) The availability of time and money for the research work

Shown in the right figure is a sample of methodology matrix for our research study.

REFLECTION:

The CLO tackled the importance of having an appropriate research design, methods, data, and tools in a research study. I learned that research design is a conceptual structure within which research is conducted, and it serves as the blueprint for the collection, measurement, and analysis of data. Also, I learned that understanding research methodology is highly important because there are different research methods that are compatible with different situations, and therefore it is important to know which method is best suitable for use with a particular research hypothesis or question. In addition, different research methods have different purposes and different levels of validity. This is one measure that helps determine how accurate the results of a research method are.