How does research design help me to understand what I need to do for my own research design?

Understanding research design is crucial for developing my own research design because it serves as a guide or strategy for the entire research process. By examining existing research designs, I can learn insights into the strategies, methodologies, and methods that have been successful in addressing similar research questions. This analysis not only provides guidance but also helps me avoid obstacles and inefficiencies in my own design.

One of the fundamental aspects of research design is its grounding in philosophy. Understanding different philosophical perspectives helps me align my research approach with my worldview and epistemological beliefs. This alignment ensures coherence between my research goals and the methods I employ to achieve them. For instance, if I adopt a positivist stance, I may lean towards quantitative methods that emphasise objectivity and generalizability. Conversely, a constructivist perspective may lead me to employ qualitative methods that prioritize subjective interpretations and context.

Moreover, research design facilitates a systematic approach to problem-solving. This enables a systematic and structured approach to answering a research question and ensuring that I carefully consider which methods are most appropriate and feasible to answer my question. This process is also important to ensure that my research is valid and reliable, addresses the research problem logically, and unambiguously, and produces meaningful results. While there isn’t a particular research design that is inherently superior to another, each type of research design will have its advantages and disadvantages for producing answers to a specific research question. The most important consideration when choosing a research design is its suitability to produce high-quality findings for your specific research question. A well-chosen research design will ensure that your research delivers valid and trustworthy answers.

Additionally, practical considerations such as data availability, resources, and time constraints play a crucial role in shaping my research design. By evaluating these factors, I can tailor my approach to maximize the utility of available resources while maintaining the integrity of the study.

It's important to recognise that the distinction between the two broad research designs, qualitative and quantitative are not polar opposites of each other. Rather, “a study tends to be more qualitative than quantitative or vice versa” (Adakawa & Garba, 2020). Having explored Grounded Theory, the principles and methods of this research design support an inductive approach to understand the complexity of a situation and utilise the most suitable methods to answer the research question.

References

Adakawa, M. I., & Garba, K. D. (2020). Mixed Methodology: Implications For Library And Information Science Research. International Journal of Business Review and Entrepreneurship, 1(1), 55-66.