WS 1- Research Models, Designs & Methods
Research cycle
While conducting this study you go through five different phases:
1. Problem analysis
2. Research design
3. Data collection
4. Data analysis
5. Reporting
Together these five steps are called the research cycle
Summary
This lesson taught you about the five steps of the research cycle, they are:
1. Problem analysis: what is the aim of your research?
2. Research design: how can you reach this aim?
3. Data collection: how can you collect data?
4. Data analysis: what do the data look like and what can be interpreted from them?
5. Reporting: which conclusions are backed up by the data?
Phase 1: problem analysis
While conducting a problem analysis you often look for the answer to the following
questions:
1. What is the direct cause for the research (and who ordered it )?
2. What is the problem/the yet unknown?
3. What is the aim of the study? What will be done with the results?
4. What is the research question?
5. What are the hypotheses?
1. Direct cause
This section should answer the all-important WHY-question.
• What is the direct reason for conducting this research? Describe the situation.
• Who ordered the research? What was their initial question? Describe for whom
you are doing the research and what his/her question is.
In short: why is there a need for this piece of research?
2. Problem
Here you elaborate on the characteristics of the problem in the current situation.
• What is yet unknown at this moment in time? What information is missing?
, • When the current situation as a whole is problematic: what exactly is going
wrong?
3. Aim
What is the aim of the study? What will the results of this study allow you to do/decide
that you can't do/decide now?
A good way of thinking about the aim of your research is in terms of ACTION. Soon you
will have put a lot of time and effort into this research. What will happen once it is
completed?
That will be the aim of your research.
4. Research question (RQ) and sub-questions
Which overarching question will your research answer? And which sub-questions do you
need to answer first to get there?
5. Hypotheses (optional)
If you have enough information to make predictions about the outcomes of your study
you can spell these predictions out in the form of hypotheses.
Well defined hypotheses are verifiable, so they can be tested!
Summary
You have completed yet another lesson! Here's an overview of what you have learned
about the first phase in the research cycle: problem analysis.
You now know that:
• A thorough problem analysis is essential for every type of research.
• Clarifying the direct cause for the research helps you determine why or even if
you should conduct your study.
• Figuring out the characteristics of the problem helps you determine the core of
your research.
• Specifying its aim gives your study direction and purpose. What do you want to
achieve in the end?
• The research question should address the most important issue in your research.
Sub-questions can help lead up to this answer.
• You are encouraged to translate initial conjectures about the outcomes of your
study into verifiable hypotheses.
Phase 2: research design
When coming up with your research design there are 5 elements that require your
attention. These are:
1. Operationalization of variables
2. Type of research and study
3. Population and sampling
4. Research method
5. Representativeness, biases and quality
, 1. Operationalization
Every concept or term that you used in the problem analysis needs a detailed definition.
What do you mean exactly when you use term 'x' in the context of your research. What
does 'x' refer to? You need to be very specific.
The process of coming up with these specific descriptions is called operationalization.
2. Type of research and study
Once you know exactly what it is that you would like to find out, it's time to ask
yourself how you are going to do this. What type of research would be most suitable for
answering your research question?
Studies come in different kinds:
• Descriptive - presenting known information
• Exploratory - trying to find new information
• Examinatory - checking if your conjectures (hypotheses) are true
Besides the different kinds of studies, we also distinguish between two types of
research:
Quantitative <> Qualitative
Quantitative research:
If you intend to express the outcomes of your research in numbers you are conducting
quantitative research. This type of research tends to consist of calculations and its
output of graphs and diagrams. Quantitative research is often conducted using
experimental designs or tailored surveys.
Qualitative research:
This is a more general term used to describe any type of study that aims to acquire
information that isn't numerical. For instance studies aimed at discerning overall
themes, coming up with descriptions, gathering people's opinions or preferences.
Qualitative research tends to use observatory designs, case studies or interview-
techniques.
3. Population and Sampling
Population and sampling are the usual suspects in any description of a research design.
The population is the focus group of your research. You need to describe it as accurately
as possible. This smaller group is called a sample
Drawing a sample from a population is called sampling.
Drawing conclusions about a population based on a sample is referred to as making
inferences or generalizing.
Research cycle
While conducting this study you go through five different phases:
1. Problem analysis
2. Research design
3. Data collection
4. Data analysis
5. Reporting
Together these five steps are called the research cycle
Summary
This lesson taught you about the five steps of the research cycle, they are:
1. Problem analysis: what is the aim of your research?
2. Research design: how can you reach this aim?
3. Data collection: how can you collect data?
4. Data analysis: what do the data look like and what can be interpreted from them?
5. Reporting: which conclusions are backed up by the data?
Phase 1: problem analysis
While conducting a problem analysis you often look for the answer to the following
questions:
1. What is the direct cause for the research (and who ordered it )?
2. What is the problem/the yet unknown?
3. What is the aim of the study? What will be done with the results?
4. What is the research question?
5. What are the hypotheses?
1. Direct cause
This section should answer the all-important WHY-question.
• What is the direct reason for conducting this research? Describe the situation.
• Who ordered the research? What was their initial question? Describe for whom
you are doing the research and what his/her question is.
In short: why is there a need for this piece of research?
2. Problem
Here you elaborate on the characteristics of the problem in the current situation.
• What is yet unknown at this moment in time? What information is missing?
, • When the current situation as a whole is problematic: what exactly is going
wrong?
3. Aim
What is the aim of the study? What will the results of this study allow you to do/decide
that you can't do/decide now?
A good way of thinking about the aim of your research is in terms of ACTION. Soon you
will have put a lot of time and effort into this research. What will happen once it is
completed?
That will be the aim of your research.
4. Research question (RQ) and sub-questions
Which overarching question will your research answer? And which sub-questions do you
need to answer first to get there?
5. Hypotheses (optional)
If you have enough information to make predictions about the outcomes of your study
you can spell these predictions out in the form of hypotheses.
Well defined hypotheses are verifiable, so they can be tested!
Summary
You have completed yet another lesson! Here's an overview of what you have learned
about the first phase in the research cycle: problem analysis.
You now know that:
• A thorough problem analysis is essential for every type of research.
• Clarifying the direct cause for the research helps you determine why or even if
you should conduct your study.
• Figuring out the characteristics of the problem helps you determine the core of
your research.
• Specifying its aim gives your study direction and purpose. What do you want to
achieve in the end?
• The research question should address the most important issue in your research.
Sub-questions can help lead up to this answer.
• You are encouraged to translate initial conjectures about the outcomes of your
study into verifiable hypotheses.
Phase 2: research design
When coming up with your research design there are 5 elements that require your
attention. These are:
1. Operationalization of variables
2. Type of research and study
3. Population and sampling
4. Research method
5. Representativeness, biases and quality
, 1. Operationalization
Every concept or term that you used in the problem analysis needs a detailed definition.
What do you mean exactly when you use term 'x' in the context of your research. What
does 'x' refer to? You need to be very specific.
The process of coming up with these specific descriptions is called operationalization.
2. Type of research and study
Once you know exactly what it is that you would like to find out, it's time to ask
yourself how you are going to do this. What type of research would be most suitable for
answering your research question?
Studies come in different kinds:
• Descriptive - presenting known information
• Exploratory - trying to find new information
• Examinatory - checking if your conjectures (hypotheses) are true
Besides the different kinds of studies, we also distinguish between two types of
research:
Quantitative <> Qualitative
Quantitative research:
If you intend to express the outcomes of your research in numbers you are conducting
quantitative research. This type of research tends to consist of calculations and its
output of graphs and diagrams. Quantitative research is often conducted using
experimental designs or tailored surveys.
Qualitative research:
This is a more general term used to describe any type of study that aims to acquire
information that isn't numerical. For instance studies aimed at discerning overall
themes, coming up with descriptions, gathering people's opinions or preferences.
Qualitative research tends to use observatory designs, case studies or interview-
techniques.
3. Population and Sampling
Population and sampling are the usual suspects in any description of a research design.
The population is the focus group of your research. You need to describe it as accurately
as possible. This smaller group is called a sample
Drawing a sample from a population is called sampling.
Drawing conclusions about a population based on a sample is referred to as making
inferences or generalizing.
