Research Design

Updated 17 Sep 2026

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What it is
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  the overall plan connecting a Research Question to data collection, comparison, analysis, and interpretation
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Approaches
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  quantitative — uses numerical measurements and analysis
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  qualitative — investigates meanings, experiences, processes, or context
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  mixed methods — integrates quantitative and qualitative evidence
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Common designs
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  experiment — manipulates conditions and uses controls; random assignment strengthens causal inference
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  quasi-experiment — examines an intervention without full random assignment
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  observational/correlational study — examines naturally occurring relationships
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  survey — collects standardized responses from a defined population or sample
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  case study — investigates a bounded case in context
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  computational experiment — compares algorithms or systems under specified conditions
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Computational comparison
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  define the baseline, proposed method, data partitions, metrics, resources, repetitions, and controlled conditions
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  separate a method’s benefit from advantages caused by more data, more compute, or different evaluation conditions
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Caution
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  correlation alone does not establish causation
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Related

Linked references 4