Reflection: Considering the process of finding an appropriate research design for my question. What were my biggest stumbling blocks and why?

In the process of selecting a research design, I realised that I was struggling to align my research question with the design. I have been hesitant to begin my research with a problem and research question that would be too specific or too much of a niche. My concern stemmed from the fear that such specificity could limit the availability of relevant literature, thereby hindering my ability to address the research question comprehensively. However, I've come to understand that this hesitation was misguided. As Draper (2004) argues, the research question ideally needs to be specific to the problem or gap that the research intends to provide an answer for. This is because an appropriate and well-thought-out research design should ensure that the research question is answered in the most rigorous manner possible (Draper, 2004). For this reason, the research question needs to be precise and non-ambiguous. Thus, embracing specifity will facilitate developing a research question that aligns closely with both the research problem and the constraints of my resources.

Furthermore, I've encountered challenges in determining the most suitable research methodologies, primarily due to the non-specific and evolving nature of my research question. The tension between the required specificity for effective research and the initial broad scope of my research question has been a significant obstacle. However, I am optimistic that my research question is gradually evolving towards the necessary specificity. I have considered questions such as such as "How can predictive analysis, using individual patient data, enable proactive tracing to determine the risk of attrition of PLHIV in South Africa?" or "Exploring the feasibility of predictive analysis to enable proactive tracing to determine the risk of attrition of PLHIV in South Africa?" or even "Exploring the Feasibility of Using Predictive Models to Determine the Risk HIV patients disengaging from HIV care?" These formulations represent a progression towards greater specificity, which is essential for selecting appropriate research methodologies and ensuring the effectiveness of the research design.

Moving forward, the next step I need to take in relation to my research question and research design is to continue refining the specificity of the research question. This will require conducting further literature reviews and preliminary data collection to ensure that the research question is precisely tailored to address the identified problem or gap. By refining the research question, I can better align it with suitable research designs.

References

Draper, J. (2004). The relationship between research question and research design.