The length and complexity of research designs can vary considerably, but any sound design will do the following things:
Research Design |
Research Methodology |
---|---|
Focuses on the end product: what kind of study is being planned and what kind of results are aimed at. |
Focuses on the research process and the kind of tools and procedures to be used |
For example: Historical - comparative study, interpretive approach or exploratory study, inductive and deductive, etc. |
For exmple: Document analysis, survey methods, analysis of existing (secondary) data/statistics etc. |
Point of departure (driven by) = Research problem or question. |
Point of departure (driven by) = Specific tasks (data collection or sampling) at hand. |
Focuses on the logic of research: What evidence is required to address the question adequately? | Focuses on the individual (not linear) steps in the research process and the most ‘objective’ (unbiased) procedures to be employed. |