Research design:

What is research design? This is the researchers overall plan for addressing the research problem. It is the structure/essence of the research. The lynchpin/cornerstone/pillar that holds the research project together.

It shows how the major parts of the project will work together to address the research question/problem.

You can equate the research design to a strategic plan/blue print

When designing the overall research plan the following are critical:
Consider

several research designs noting strengths and weaknesses.

Make

informed decision based on time available, cost, ethical issues and acceptability of the study.

Why design? Research design will help you to: Appropriately study a research problem; Remove bias and thus improve the objectivity of the study results; Control the effects of extraneous variables and factors on the study results.

To

reduce duration and cost involved to complete the study without sacrificing quality;
To

permit the researcher to manipulate group differences so as to clearly bring out their scores on the dependent variable.

Types of research design

Understanding the various types of research design is critical in helping the researcher in making design choices.
He/she can evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different designs.

Descriptive design Description of the state of affairs as they are. The work of the researcher here is to report the findings. Descriptive research does not always entail mere collection of data/fact finding. They often result in formulation of important principles of knowledge and solution to significant problems.

Information is usually collected by interviewing or administering a questionnaire to sample individuals.

When using this method, the following require to be observed: Construction of questions that will solicit the desired information;
Identification

of individuals to be surveyed; Identification of the means by which the survey will be conducted;
Summary

of the data in a way that provides the designed descriptive information.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Subjects are assigned to an experimental group or control group. On the assumption that the two groups were initially equivalent the researcher can compare their performance.

Cause and effect can thus be determined.

Using this method requires that you become certain on the independent and dependent variable and must guard against influence external variables.

CORRELATIONAL DESIGN This is to enable the researcher to determine the relationship that exists between two or more variables. For instance if you want to compare the academic performance of a group of village girls who in addition to learning help in domestic chores and their urban counterparts who do not you will use correlational design.

CASE STUDY DESIGN Used when the researcher wants to analyze an issue in detail. It seeks to describe an issue in detail, in context and holistically. For example: The Study of the impact of pay as you eat on education: A case study of Kenyatta University.

CROSS CULTURAL DESIGN

Used to compare behaviour patterns of different cultures. The researcher may want to know how culture influences/affects the subject under study.

STEPS IN RESEARCH DESIGN Identification of the kind of research to be carried out-what is the purpose, objective and theoretical objective of the research? This will help in determining the kind of information you need to collect. Use of library to analyze samples of research design from books and periodicals- use of internet included here.

RESEARCH SITE Selection of research site is essential. It influences the usefulness of the information produced. It is always useful to start with a larger population and through the elimination process end up with the actual site where data is to be collected.

The process of conducting research Get a research permit- the permit gives you the legal status to carry out research- It allows you to be accepted and people to comply to give you information (Remember they do not have to).
Get

an introductory letter from the institution where you are a student. The letter should be on the institutions formal letterhead. It should specify the research topic you are carryout.

Write

a list of possible contact persons; Prepare and carry with you the itinerary of the research program specifying the areas, people and specific dates when you want to visit them.
Arrange

prior appointments with people you want

to visit.
Observe

ethical standards while in the field do not force or induce those unwilling to participate.