Distinguishing Research Method from Research Design – Key Differences and Examples

Distinguishing Research Method from Research Design – Key Differences and Examples

Research processes are integral to knowledge advancement and the resolution of apparent clinical challenges in healthcare. Research methods differ from research designs on several fronts. Research methods define the strategy utilized by the researcher to answer the research questions. They provide the theoretical framework that guides the researcher’s procedures and focuses on techniques and tools used in data collection. Examples of research methods include surveys, interviews, experiments, and observation. Conversely, research designs define the plan the researcher uses to answer the research questions. Examples of research designs include exploratory, experimental, and descriptive research designs.

There are several examples of quantitative research designs. Descriptive research design is a type of quantitative research that aims at explaining the characteristics of a phenomenon or a population. Survey research is another example of quantitative research that utilizes surveys or questionnaires to gather data on a population. Correlational research design is another example of quantitative research that explores the relationship between variables (Borgstede & Scholz, 2021). There are also multiple examples of qualitative research design. The first example is case study design. Case study design can be used to explore a person, a community, or a group to identify common themes. Phenomenology, on the other hand, involves the exploration of a population to understand how individuals experience an identified phenomenon. Another example is the grounded theory, which involves developing a theory on a social issue under scrutiny (Tomaszewski et al., 2020).

Qualitative research allows the researcher to obtain descriptive information about a phenomenon under research. This research design may apply to the proposed study as it enables the collection of descriptive data from the research participants. Through the case study design, research areas such as poor access to mental healthcare can be interrogated, and common themes can be identified.

References

Borgstede, M., & Scholz, M. (2021). Quantitative and qualitative approaches to generalization and replication–a representationalist view. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.605191

Tomaszewski, L. E., Zarestky, J., & Gonzalez, E. (2020). Planning qualitative research: Design and decision making for new researchers. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19, 160940692096717. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920967174

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Provide a minimum 250- to 300-word substantive response on the difference between a research method and a research design. Then list three quantitative and three qualitative research designs and briefly explain each one.

Distinguishing Research Method from Research Design – Key Differences and Examples

Choose one potential research design and discuss how this design might be appropriate for your study. Be sure to include APA in-text citations and references from the weekly overview as well as other sources.