Research Design Fundamentals

The course addresses the ultimate rudimental question that every research oriented scholar has to face at the very beginning of the project, i.e. the questions “How to design my research?”. The question is addressed in an applied manner, through pointing out what the architecture of research designs in social sciences practise is about.

The major aim of the course is to make students aware of the logic behind critical decisions that have to be taken when designing a research process. Although the variety of choices at first glance might appear as unlimited and even arbitrary in combining particular elements, all decisions have to be in harmony with the overall project characteristics and so methodologically justified. Oversimplified one-dimensional divisions like e.g. between qualitative and quantitative design as opposites, between analysing words or numbers, drawing on big or small N etc. are addressed to introduce more constructive and flexible multidimensional distinctions than can be applied as guidelines in research practise.

To enable informed decisions, during the course factors that decisively shape major characteristics of the intended research are introduced and discussed:

1. the main approach (world-view families, like prevailing positivism with its modernised derivations; interpretative approach and critical approach, both with variants; pragmatism as a potential alternative)
2. purpose(s) of the research (exploratory, descriptive and causal - looking for causes or reasons)
3. research range and time aspect (e.g. large or small N, individuals or aggregates, probability or nonprobability sample, cross-sectional or longitudinal data)
4. the scope of the research (e.g. applied or basic research, academic or non-academic audience) 
5. the researcher him/herself (scientific discipline, knowledge, experiences, values, resources etc.).

This is clearly the least technical (or the most philosophical) part of the course that has to be comprehended in the first two days.

Positions on key factors have to be determined before analytical methods and techniques can be composed in a sound and coherent research design. But soundness and coherence still cannot be achieved without awareness of basic features of methods and techniques available to researchers. Therefore, basic characteristics of methodologies, methods and techniques that can be applied in various steps of any research process are reviewed, illustrated with examples from wide-ranging field of social sciences and discussed, e.g.:

1. data collection methods and techniques (based on communication or observation; further characterised by degree of structure, method of administration, degree of disguise and the setting; using logic of sampling or casing) including field work, interviews, focus groups, projections, as well as surveys, web surveys, selection of official statistics, digital footprints collection etc., (taking into account conceptualisation and operationalisation of variables)
2. data and evidence analysis methods, including univariate (frequencies and distributions), bivariate (correlation, t-test and contingency) and multivariate methods (clustering and regression analysis) for analysis of variables, as well as producing thick descriptions and coding, using pre-set codes or going through open, axial and selective coding phase.

Furthermore, approaches as mixing methods, analysing cases and tracing processes are associated with reviewed methods and techniques. The course deals with highly abstract and idealised concept of various predetermined types of research designs, without discriminating any of them in favour of the other, and not with exact blueprints of numerous more qualitative or more quantitative designs, extensively presented in a bulk of literature.

Designed at introductory level, the course certainly cannot provide expertise in various elements of a research design (e.g. in methods, not even in selected ones) but can swiftly review most of them to create a holistic picture of the architecture of research designs. At the end students are expected to better understand the variety of opportunities and exciting designs and be able to take advantage of distinctions between them in their own research projects by making informed decisions. These basic competences are expected to grow with further study of various methods and techniques and with experiences gained in continuous research work.

Basic acquaintance with most commonly referenced research designs and their building blocks is appreciated but by no means required. The more students know about applicability of various methods and techniques the more they can gain from the course, but can start from scratch since this is a basic level course.