Topic: Research Designs

1.0 Introduction
Before conducting any research, one must devise a plan to collect and evaluate data, tackle the
challenges and reach a conclusion.
A detailed plan will give your research direction, sharpen your research methods and set your
study up for success. This detailed plan is referred to as research design in the professional
realm.

2.0 Objectives
At the end of this module, learners will be able to:
 Define a research design
 Discuss the different types of research designs

Definition/Meaning
Kerlinger (1986) defines research design as “The plan and structure of investigation so
conceived as to obtain answers to research questions.
The plan is the overall scheme or program of the research.
It includes an outline of what the investigator will do from writing hypotheses and their
operational implications to the final analysis of data…. a research design expresses both the
structure of the research problem and the plan of investigation used to obtain empirical evidence
in relations to the problem”.
Therefore, a research design is the strategy for a study and the plan by which the strategy is to be
carried out. It specifies the methods and procedures for the collection, measurement, and analysis
of data.
Creating a research design means making decisions about:
 Your overall research objectives and approach
 Whether you’ll rely on primary research or secondary research
 Your sampling methods or criteria for selecting subjects
 Your data collection methods

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  The procedures you’ll follow to collect data
 Your data analysis methods
A well-planned research design helps ensure that your methods match your research objectives
and that you use the right kind of analysis for your data.

Types of Research Designs

i) Descriptive Research Design

Descriptive research aims to accurately and systematically describe a population, situation or
phenomenon. It can answer what, where, when and how questions, but not why questions.
A descriptive research design can use a wide variety of research methods to investigate one or
more variables. Unlike in experimental research, the researcher does not control or manipulate
any of the variables, but only observes and measures them.

ii) Correlational Research Design

A correlational research design investigates relationships between variables without the
researcher controlling or manipulating any of them.
A correlation reflects the strength and/or direction of the relationship between two (or more)
variables. The direction of a correlation can be either positive or negative.
Positive correlation Both variables change in As height increases, weight also increases
the same direction
Negative correlation The variables change in As coffee consumption increases, tiredness decreases
opposite directions
Zero correlation There is no relationship Coffee consumption is not correlated with height
between the variables

iii) Cross-sectional research design

A cross-sectional study is a type of research design in which you collect data from many
different individuals at a single point in time.
In cross-sectional research, you observe variables without influencing them.

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Researchers in economics, psychology, medicine, epidemiology, and the other social sciences all
make use of cross-sectional studies in their work. For example, epidemiologists who are
interested in the current prevalence of a disease in a certain subset of the population might use a
cross-sectional design to gather and analyze the relevant data.
Research is carried out once and represent a snapshot of one point in time.

iv) Longitudinal research design:

In a longitudinal study, researchers repeatedly examine the same individuals to detect any
changes that might occur over a period of time.
Longitudinal studies are a type of correlational research in which researchers observe and collect
data on a number of variables without trying to influence those variables.
While they are most commonly used in medicine, economics, and epidemiology, longitudinal
studies can also be found in the other social or medical sciences.
Studies are repeated over an extended period. It tracks changes over time.

v) Experimental Research Design

They are used to study causal relationships. Researchers manipulate one or more independent
variables and measure their effect on one or more dependent variables.

Experimental design creates a set of procedures to systematically test a hypothesis. A good

experimental design requires a strong understanding of the system one is studying.

vi) Exploratory research

This is a methodology approach that investigates research questions that have not previously
been studied in depth.

Exploratory research is often qualitative and primary in nature. However, a study with a large
sample conducted in an exploratory manner can be quantitative as well. It is also often referred
to as interpretive research or a grounded theory approach due to its flexible and open-ended
nature.

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Vii) Ethnography

This is a type of qualitative research that involves immersing yourself in a particular community
or organization to observe their behavior and interactions up-close. The word “ethnography” also
refers to the written report of the research that the ethnographer produces afterwards.

Ethnography is a flexible research method that allows you to gain a deep understanding of a
group’s shared culture, conventions, and social dynamics. However, it also involves some
practical and ethical challenges.

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