Research Methodology: Designing, Conducting and Evaluating Research
Core concepts
Candidates must understand the research process: define the topic and question, conduct a literature review, state a hypothesis, choose a methodology, select participants and sampling method, collect data, analyse, interpret, then report and evaluate.
Distinguish primary from secondary research, and quantitative (numerical, measurable, statistical) from qualitative (descriptive, interpretive, experiential) approaches, including mixed methods. Know sampling: random, stratified, systematic, convenience and snowball, with strengths and weaknesses of each. Understand data collection methods - questionnaires, interviews (structured, semi-structured, unstructured), observation, case studies, focus groups and experiments - and match each to research aims.
Know ethics: informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity, voluntary participation, no harm, and the right to withdraw. Understand validity (measuring what is intended), reliability (consistency of results), bias, and representativeness. Learn to interpret simple data presentations, including tables, graphs and percentages.
Traps to avoid
- Confusing validity with reliability.
- Describing a method without justifying its suitability to the research question.
- Omitting ethical considerations, or listing them without explanation.
- Ignoring limitations and sample bias in evaluations.
Worked example / rule of thumb
For a study on adolescent screen time, propose a mixed-methods design: an anonymous questionnaire for breadth plus semi-structured interviews for depth; justify stratified sampling by age; state ethics; then evaluate validity, reliability and limitations. Rule of thumb: aim → method → sample → ethics → analysis → evaluation.
Exam technique
Always pair a method with a justification and a limitation; examiners reward balanced evaluation over description.