Chapter 7 Designing a Research Plan

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Chapter 7Designing a Research Plan

• Zina OLeary

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From Questions to Answers

• There are often a number of ways to credibly
  move from questions to answers, with each path
  giving a different perspective.

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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From Questions to Answers

• The Path

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
4
From Questions to Answers

• Multiple Paths

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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From Questions to Answers

• Paths and Perspective

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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Prerequisites of Methodological Design

• Methodological options may be diverse, but
  credible design is reliant on three key
  prerequisites
• the design addresses the question
• it is suited to the researcher
• you have the ethics approval, resources, time,
  and access necessary to accomplish the task.

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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Getting your Methodological Design on Target
Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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Addressing the Question

• A strong methodological plan has logical links
  between aims, questions and eventuating
  methodology.
• Clarity and precision in your question can
  readily lead to a range of method possibilities
  that should be considered on the basis of both
  their logic and practicality.

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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Suited to the Researcher

• As a researcher you need to design methods
  that sit well with your own epistemological
  frameworks, interests, and skills.
• You will also need to be comfortable taking on
  particular roles such as
• Theorist - the philosopher or thinker  
• Scientist - the objective expert 
• Change agent - the emancipator
• Bricoleur - the jack of all trades
• Choreographer - the coordinator of a dance.

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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Practicalities

• Regardless of how appropriate your
  methodological design might be for you and your
  question, if you do not have
• ethics approval
• adequate funds/resources
• enough time
• access
• you will need to rethink your
• approach.

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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Getting Down to the Nuts and Bolts of Design

• Getting down to the nitty gritty of design
  involves being able to answer basic questions of
• who, where, when, what, and how

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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Who

• Who do you want to be able to speak about?
• Who do you plan to speak to/ observe?

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
13
Where

• What is the physical domain of your sample?
• Are settings relevant to the credibility of
  your methods?

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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When

• How do your methods fit into your timeframe?
• Is timing relevant to the credibility of your
  methods?

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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How

• How will I collect my data?
• How will I conduct my methods?

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
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What

• What will you look for/ what will you ask?

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage
17
Emergent Methodological Design

• With an emergent design researchers do not
  predetermine all of the details of their
  methodological protocols in advance of going into
  the field.
• This is quite distinct from haphazard or
  ill-defined designs. For example, in the case of
  both grounded theory and action research,
  emergence itself is a well-considered and planned
  part of the process. These methodologies require
  as much rigour as do more traditional approaches
  to research.

Zina OLeary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing
Your Research Project. London Sage