Designing a research project
Piet Verschuren and Hans Doorewaard
2nd edition
1
, 1. Project design
Conceptual design: what do you want to achieve? Modelling content
↓
Technical research design: how to realize this during the implementation stage of the project
↓
Objective: goal, to what solution do you want to contribute (external aim) →
demarcation
- Should be derived and embedded in project context
Research framework: schematic representation of the most important research phases
- Schematic and visual
Formulating research questions → internal aim
Theoretical framework: form of conceptual model → set of assumed relationships
between core concepts
- Core concepts → defining and operationalizing → indicators
Technical design: how, where and when
1. Research strategy: quantitative / qualitative
2. Research material: research population, resources and how
3. Research plan
The design process is iterative!
Conceptual design = steering, motivation and evaluative
Step-by-step approach
1. Explore the project context and decide on a single and feasible research objective
2. Construct a research framework that vies a general indication of the steps that yu plan to
take to achieve the objective
3. Examine, partly on the basis of the research framework, which information will be useful
or necessary in order to achieve the objective. Then formulate this information into a set
of research questions and, if appropriate, into a conceptual model
4. Determine the core concepts of the project and tailor the definitions and
operationalisation of the concepts to the objective and research questions
5. Determine what research strategy you are going to follow when gathering and
processing the material into answers
6. For each research question, examine what type of research material you need to arrive
to sound answers
7. Draw up a research plan that indicates the activities that you are going to carry out,
when this will take place, and which products will result during the separate phases of
research
2
Piet Verschuren and Hans Doorewaard
2nd edition
1
, 1. Project design
Conceptual design: what do you want to achieve? Modelling content
↓
Technical research design: how to realize this during the implementation stage of the project
↓
Objective: goal, to what solution do you want to contribute (external aim) →
demarcation
- Should be derived and embedded in project context
Research framework: schematic representation of the most important research phases
- Schematic and visual
Formulating research questions → internal aim
Theoretical framework: form of conceptual model → set of assumed relationships
between core concepts
- Core concepts → defining and operationalizing → indicators
Technical design: how, where and when
1. Research strategy: quantitative / qualitative
2. Research material: research population, resources and how
3. Research plan
The design process is iterative!
Conceptual design = steering, motivation and evaluative
Step-by-step approach
1. Explore the project context and decide on a single and feasible research objective
2. Construct a research framework that vies a general indication of the steps that yu plan to
take to achieve the objective
3. Examine, partly on the basis of the research framework, which information will be useful
or necessary in order to achieve the objective. Then formulate this information into a set
of research questions and, if appropriate, into a conceptual model
4. Determine the core concepts of the project and tailor the definitions and
operationalisation of the concepts to the objective and research questions
5. Determine what research strategy you are going to follow when gathering and
processing the material into answers
6. For each research question, examine what type of research material you need to arrive
to sound answers
7. Draw up a research plan that indicates the activities that you are going to carry out,
when this will take place, and which products will result during the separate phases of
research
2
