In the first quarter of 2021 we explored design steps, starting with a January focus on research questions. We’ll continue to learn about the design stage in February with a focus on Choosing Methodology and Methods, an important part of the initial stage of the research process, Identifying & Planning Research.
This guest post from methodologist and author Margaret Roller includes links to her excellent collections of articles about qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research design.
“Methodology” is a new compilation of selected articles.
The articles in this collection appeared in Research Design Review from 2010 to 2017. The compilation includes 26 articles concerning a variety of design considerations in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research, plus 2 articles on becoming a methodologist. There are many other articles in RDR that focus entirely on qualitative design — as an example, “Qualitative Design & Methods: 14 Selected Articles from 2019” — and articles devoted to quantitative design — such as “Choice of Mode & the Do-Nothing Response” and “The Vagueness of Our Terms: Are Positive Responses Really That Positive?”
At the heart of this compilation, however, is methodology; specifically, the unique and shared design considerations in qualitative and quantitative research as well as the synergy derived from mixed methods designs.
“Methodology: 26 Articles on Design Considerations in Qualitative, Quantitative, & Mixed Methods Research — Plus, Thoughts on becoming a methodologist” are available for download here.
Looking for some guidance on your literature review? Raymond Pun answers all your burning questions submitted during the Q&A of our latest webinar on ‘How to do a literature review’.
Many researchers see theory and philosophy as abstract and intimidating. In this interview, Peter Adams explains why they are essential to strong research, how they shape better questions and methods, and why their importance is growing in the age of AI.
Whether you’re tackling a systematic review for your own research project, or supporting students, this recent Sage Campus webinar is an essential watch.
Dr Gemma Cherry and Dr Michelle Maden, co-authors of Doing a Systematic Review: A Student’s Guide, break down the rigorous process into 10 clear, manageable steps. You’ll learn the difference between systematic and scoping reviews, the critical need for a registered protocol, and how to craft a focused question using frameworks like PICO.
There are some perennial challenges to doing a research project that all of us have faced: formulating a research question, wrestling with paradigmatic assumptions, keeping on track of a multi-year project. The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project has been helping students (and supervisors) for more than 20 years. But in a post-pandemic world with the transformations being wrought by artificial intelligence, datafication, and the rise and fall of social media platforms, there are new challenges facing researchers.
While progress has been made, social and systemic biases continue to produce inequities in scholarly reference lists, citational indexes, and even journal metrics. This guidance outlines steps that researchers can take toward achieving more inclusive and equitable scholarly citational practice.
We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Research Design and Planning video collection, a powerful new resource designed to equip researchers with the essential tools and insights to craft high-impact research projects. Whether you're a student, academic, or professional researcher, this collection is your go-to guide for mastering the art and science of research design.
Undertaking a research project such as a dissertation or capstone can be one of the most rewarding aspects of a student’s degree programme. It provides them with the opportunity to apply what they have learned in their course to explore a topic of personal interest. It also enables them to develop independent research skills, a sought after competence among many employers. However, for many students, the experience can also feel daunting and at times, overwhelming.
Join Gary Thomas, author of ‘How to Do Your Literature Review’ as he discusses questions which arose in his recent webinar, ‘What is a Literature Review in the Age of AI?’. A link to the webinar recording can be found at the end of this blog post.
Guest post from Christopher Lamont and Mieczyslaw P Boduszynski , authors of Research Methods in Politics and International Relations, on the importance of methodology in PIR research.
The new AI tools for conducting a literature review provide a remarkable resource both for professional researchers and students. They can rapidly scan millions of papers, provide digests and summaries in seconds, link cognate literature, and even draw maps of the literature showing how one piece relates to another.