research method vs design

Research Design vs. Research Methods

What's the difference.

Research design and research methods are two essential components of any research study. Research design refers to the overall plan or structure of the study, outlining the objectives, research questions, and the overall approach to be used. It involves making decisions about the type of study, the target population, and the data collection and analysis techniques to be employed. On the other hand, research methods refer to the specific techniques and tools used to gather and analyze data. This includes selecting the appropriate sampling method, designing surveys or interviews, and choosing statistical tests for data analysis. While research design provides the framework for the study, research methods are the practical tools used to implement the design and collect the necessary data.

Further Detail

Introduction.

Research is a systematic process that aims to gather and analyze information to answer specific questions or solve problems. It involves careful planning and execution to ensure reliable and valid results. Two key components of any research study are the research design and research methods. While they are closely related, they serve distinct purposes and have different attributes. In this article, we will explore and compare the attributes of research design and research methods.

Research Design

Research design refers to the overall plan or strategy that guides the entire research process. It outlines the structure and framework of the study, including the objectives, research questions, and the overall approach to be used. The research design provides a roadmap for researchers to follow, ensuring that the study is conducted in a systematic and organized manner.

One of the key attributes of research design is its flexibility. Researchers can choose from various research designs, such as experimental, correlational, descriptive, or exploratory, depending on the nature of their research questions and the available resources. Each design has its own strengths and limitations, and researchers must carefully consider these factors when selecting the most appropriate design for their study.

Another important attribute of research design is its ability to establish the causal relationship between variables. Experimental research designs, for example, are specifically designed to determine cause and effect relationships by manipulating independent variables and measuring their impact on dependent variables. This attribute is particularly valuable when researchers aim to make causal inferences and draw conclusions about the effectiveness of interventions or treatments.

Research design also plays a crucial role in determining the generalizability of the findings. Some research designs, such as case studies or qualitative research, may provide rich and in-depth insights into a specific context or phenomenon but may lack generalizability to a larger population. On the other hand, quantitative research designs, such as surveys or experiments, often aim for a representative sample and strive for generalizability to a broader population.

Furthermore, research design influences the data collection methods and tools used in a study. It helps researchers decide whether to use qualitative or quantitative data, or a combination of both, and guides the selection of appropriate data collection techniques, such as interviews, observations, questionnaires, or experiments. The research design ensures that the chosen methods align with the research objectives and provide the necessary data to answer the research questions.

Research Methods

Research methods, on the other hand, refer to the specific techniques and procedures used to collect and analyze data within a research study. While research design provides the overall framework, research methods are the practical tools that researchers employ to gather the necessary information.

One of the key attributes of research methods is their diversity. Researchers can choose from a wide range of methods, such as surveys, interviews, observations, experiments, case studies, content analysis, or statistical analysis, depending on the nature of their research questions and the available resources. Each method has its own strengths and limitations, and researchers must carefully select the most appropriate methods to ensure the validity and reliability of their findings.

Another important attribute of research methods is their ability to provide empirical evidence. By collecting data through systematic and rigorous methods, researchers can obtain objective and measurable information that can be analyzed and interpreted. This attribute is crucial for generating reliable and valid results, as it ensures that the findings are based on evidence rather than personal opinions or biases.

Research methods also play a significant role in ensuring the ethical conduct of research. Ethical considerations, such as informed consent, privacy protection, and minimizing harm to participants, are essential in any research study. The choice of research methods should align with these ethical principles and guidelines to ensure the well-being and rights of the participants.

Furthermore, research methods allow researchers to analyze and interpret the collected data. Statistical analysis, for example, enables researchers to identify patterns, relationships, and trends within the data, providing a deeper understanding of the research questions. The choice of appropriate analysis methods depends on the nature of the data and the research objectives, and researchers must possess the necessary skills and knowledge to conduct the analysis accurately.

Lastly, research methods contribute to the reproducibility and transparency of research. By clearly documenting the methods used, researchers enable others to replicate the study and verify the findings. This attribute is crucial for the advancement of knowledge and the validation of research results.

Research design and research methods are two essential components of any research study. While research design provides the overall plan and structure, research methods are the practical tools used to collect and analyze data. Both have distinct attributes that contribute to the reliability, validity, and generalizability of research findings. By understanding and carefully considering the attributes of research design and research methods, researchers can conduct high-quality studies that contribute to the advancement of knowledge in their respective fields.

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FAQ: Research Design & Method

What is the difference between Research Design and Research Method?

Research design is a plan to answer your research question.  A research method is a strategy used to implement that plan.  Research design and methods are different but closely related, because good research design ensures that the data you obtain will help you answer your research question more effectively.

Which research method should I choose ?

It depends on your research goal.  It depends on what subjects (and who) you want to study.  Let's say you are interested in studying what makes people happy, or why some students are more conscious about recycling on campus.  To answer these questions, you need to make a decision about how to collect your data.  Most frequently used methods include:

• Observation / Participant Observation
• Focus Groups
• Experiments
• Secondary Data Analysis / Archival Study
• Mixed Methods (combination of some of the above)

One particular method could be better suited to your research goal than others, because the data you collect from different methods will be different in quality and quantity.   For instance, surveys are usually designed to produce relatively short answers, rather than the extensive responses expected in qualitative interviews.

What other factors should I consider when choosing one method over another?

Time for data collection and analysis is something you want to consider.  An observation or interview method, so-called qualitative approach, helps you collect richer information, but it takes time.  Using a survey helps you collect more data quickly, yet it may lack details.  So, you will need to consider the time you have for research and the balance between strengths and weaknesses associated with each method (e.g., qualitative vs. quantitative).

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Home » Education » Difference Between Research Methods and Research Design

Difference Between Research Methods and Research Design

Main difference – research methods vs research design.

Research methods and research design are terms you must know before starting a research project. Both these elements are essential to the success of a research project. However, many new researchers assume research methods and research design to be the same. Research design is the overall structure of a research project. For example, if you are building a house, you need to have a good idea about what kind of house you are going to build; you cannot do anything without knowing this. A research design is the same – you cannot proceed with the research study without having a proper research design. Research methods are the procedures that are used to collect and analyze data. Thus, the main difference between research methods and research design is that research design is the overall structure of the research study whereas research methods are the various processes, procedures, and tools used to collect and analyze data.

1. What are Research Methods?      – Definition, Features, Characteristics

2. What is Research Design?      – Definition, Features, Characteristics

What are Research Methods

Research methods are concerned with the various research processes, procedures, and tools – techniques of gathering information, various ways of analyzing them. Research problems can be categorized into two basic sections: qualitative research and quantitative research . Researchers may use one or both of these methods (mixed method) in their research studies. The type of research method you choose would depend on your research questions or problem and research design.

The main aim of a research study is to produce new knowledge or deepen the existing understanding of a field. This can be done by three forms.

Exploratory research – identifies and outlines a problem or question

Constructive research – tests theories and suggests solutions to a problem or question

Empirical research – tests the viability of a solution using empirical evidence

What is a Research Design

Research design is the overall plan or structure of the research project. It indicates what type of study is planned and what kind of results are expected from this project. It specifically focuses on the final results of the research. It is almost impossible to proceed with a research project without a proper research design. The main function of a research design is to make sure that the information gathered throughout the research answers the initial question unambiguously. In other words, the final outcomes and conclusions of the research must correspond with the research problems chosen at the beginning of the research.

A research design can be,

Descriptive (case study, survey, naturalistic observation, etc.)

Correlational (case-control study, observational study, etc.)

Experimental (experiments)

Semi-experimental (field experiment, quasi-experiment, etc.)

Meta-analytic (meta-analysis)

Review ( literature review , systematic review)

Research Methods : Research methods are the procedures that will be used to collect and analyze data.

Research Design: Research design is the overall structure of the research.

Research Methods: Research methods focus on what type of methods are more suitable to collect and analyze the evidence we need.

Research Design: Research design focuses on what type of study is planned and what kind of results are expected from the research.

Research Methods: Research methods depend on the research design.

Research Design: Research design is based on the research question or problem.

De Vaus, D. A. 2001. Research design in social research. London: SAGE.

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Research Methodology: Overview of Research Methodology

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Research Methods Overview

If you are planning to do research - whether you are doing a student research project,  IQP,  MQP, GPS project, thesis, or dissertation, you need to use valid approaches and tools to set up your study, gather your data, and make sense of your findings. This research methods guide will help you choose a methodology and launch into your research project. 

Data collection and data analysis are  research methods  that can be applied to many disciplines. There is Qualitative research and Quantitative Research. The focus of this guide, includes most popular methods including: 

focus groups

case studies

We are happy to answer questions about research methods and assist with choosing a method that is right for your research in person or online. below is a video on how to book a research consultation

"How-To": Booking a Research Consultation

" Research Data Management " by  Peter Neish  is marked with  CC0 1.0 .

Research Design vs Research Method

What is the difference between Research Design and Research Method?

Research design is a plan to answer your research question.  A research method is a strategy used to implement that plan.  Research design and methods are different but closely related, because good research design ensures that the data you obtain will help you answer your research question more effectively.

Which research method should I choose ?

It depends on your research goal.  It depends on what subjects (and who) you want to study.  Let's say you are interested in studying what makes people happy, or why some students are more conscious about recycling on campus.  To answer these questions, you need to make a decision about how to collect your data.  Most frequently used methods include:

• Observation / Participant Observation
• Experiments
• Secondary Data Analysis / Archival Study
• Mixed Methods (combination of some of the above)

One particular method could be better suited to your research goal than others, because the data you collect from different methods will be different in quality and quantity.   For instance, surveys are usually designed to produce relatively short answers, rather than the extensive responses expected in qualitative interviews.

What other factors should I consider when choosing one method over another?

Time for data collection and analysis is something you want to consider.  An observation or interview method, so-called qualitative approach, helps you collect richer information, but it takes time.  Using a survey helps you collect more data quickly, yet it may lack details.  So, you will need to consider the time you have for research and the balance between strengths and weaknesses associated with each method (e.g., qualitative vs. quantitative).

Research Data Management

Research Data Management (RDM) refers to how you are going to keep and share your data over longer time frame - like after you graduate. It is defined as the organization, documentation, storage, and  preservation  of the  data  resulting from the research process, where data can be broadly defined as the outcome of experiments or observations that validate research findings, and can take a variety of forms including numerical output ( quantitative data ),  qualitative data , documentation, images, audio, and video.

"Research Design"  by  George C Gordon Library  is licensed under  CC BY 4.0  / A derivative from the  original work

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Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research: The Differences Explained

From Scribbr 

Empirical Research

What is empirical research.

"Empirical research is research that is based on observation and measurement of phenomena, as directly experienced by the researcher. The data thus gathered may be compared against a theory or hypothesis, but the results are still based on real life experience. The data gathered is all primary data, although secondary data from a literature review may form the theoretical background."

Characteristics of Empirical Research

Emerald Publishing's  guide to conducting empirical research  identifies a number of common elements to empirical research: 

A  research question , which will determine research objectives.

A particular and planned  design  for the research, which will depend on the question and which will find ways of answering it with appropriate use of resources.

The gathering of  primary data , which is then analysed.

A particular  methodology  for collecting and analysing the data, such as an experiment or survey.

The limitation of the data to a particular group, area or time scale, known as a  sample  [emphasis added]: for example, a specific number of employees of a particular company type, or all users of a library over a given time scale. The sample should be somehow representative of a wider population.

The ability to  recreate  the study and test the results. This is known as  reliability .

The ability to  generalize  from the findings to a larger sample and to other situations.

If you see these elements in a research article, you can feel confident that you have found empirical research. Emerald's guide goes into more detail on each element. 

Emerald Publishing (n.d.). How to... conduct empirical research. https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/how-to/research-methods/conduct-empirical-research-l 

• Quantitative vs. Qualitative
• Data Collection Methods
• Analyzing Data

When collecting and analyzing data,  quantitative research  deals with numbers and statistics, while  qualitative research  deals with words and meanings. Both are important for gaining different kinds of knowledge.

Quantitative research

Common quantitative methods include experiments, observations recorded as numbers, and surveys with closed-ended questions.

Qualitative research

Common qualitative methods include interviews with open-ended questions, observations described in words, and literature reviews that explore concepts and theories.

Streefkerk, R. (2022, February 7). Qualitative vs. quantitative research: Differences, examples & methods. Scibbr. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/qualitative-quantitative-research/ 

Quantitative and qualitative data can be collected using various methods. It is important to use a  data collection  method that will help answer your research question(s).

Many data collection methods can be either qualitative or quantitative. For example, in surveys, observations or  case studies , your data can be represented as numbers (e.g. using rating scales or counting frequencies) or as words (e.g. with open-ended questions or descriptions of what you observe).

However, some methods are more commonly used in one type or the other.

Quantitative data collection methods

• Surveys :  List of closed or multiple choice questions that is distributed to a  sample  (online, in person, or over the phone).
• Experiments :  Situation in which  variables  are controlled and manipulated to establish cause-and-effect relationships.
• Observations:  Observing subjects in a natural environment where variables can’t be controlled.

Qualitative data collection methods

• Interviews : Asking open-ended questions verbally to respondents.
• Focus groups:  Discussion among a group of people about a topic to gather opinions that can be used for further research.
• Ethnography : Participating in a community or organization for an extended period of time to closely observe culture and behavior.
• Literature review :  Survey of published works by other authors.

When to use qualitative vs. quantitative research

A rule of thumb for deciding whether to use qualitative or quantitative data is:

• Use quantitative research if you want to  confirm or test something  (a theory or hypothesis)
• Use qualitative research if you want to  understand something  (concepts, thoughts, experiences)

For most  research topics  you can choose a qualitative, quantitative or  mixed methods approach . Which type you choose depends on, among other things, whether you’re taking an  inductive vs. deductive research approach ; your  research question(s) ; whether you’re doing  experimental ,  correlational , or  descriptive research ; and practical considerations such as time, money, availability of data, and access to respondents.

Streefkerk, R. (2022, February 7).  Qualitative vs. quantitative research: Differences, examples & methods.  Scibbr. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/qualitative-quantitative-research/ 

Qualitative or quantitative data by itself can’t prove or demonstrate anything, but has to be analyzed to show its meaning in relation to the research questions. The method of analysis differs for each type of data.

Analyzing quantitative data

Quantitative data is based on numbers. Simple math or more advanced  statistical analysis  is used to discover commonalities or patterns in the data. The results are often reported in graphs and tables.

Applications such as Excel, SPSS, or R can be used to calculate things like:

• Average scores
• The number of times a particular answer was given
• The  correlation or causation  between two or more variables
• The  reliability and validity  of the results

Analyzing qualitative data

Qualitative data is more difficult to analyze than quantitative data. It consists of text, images or videos instead of numbers.

Some common approaches to analyzing qualitative data include:

• Qualitative content analysis : Tracking the occurrence, position and meaning of words or phrases
• Thematic analysis : Closely examining the data to identify the main themes and patterns
• Discourse analysis : Studying how communication works in social contexts

Comparison of Research Processes

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018).  Research design : qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches  (Fifth). SAGE Publications.

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Types of Research Designs Compared | Examples

Published on 5 May 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on 10 October 2022.

When you start planning a research project, developing research questions and creating a  research design , you will have to make various decisions about the type of research you want to do.

There are many ways to categorise different types of research. The words you use to describe your research depend on your discipline and field. In general, though, the form your research design takes will be shaped by:

• The type of knowledge you aim to produce
• The type of data you will collect and analyse
• The sampling methods , timescale, and location of the research

This article takes a look at some common distinctions made between different types of research and outlines the key differences between them.

Table of contents

Types of research aims, types of research data, types of sampling, timescale, and location.

The first thing to consider is what kind of knowledge your research aims to contribute.

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The next thing to consider is what type of data you will collect. Each kind of data is associated with a range of specific research methods and procedures.

Finally, you have to consider three closely related questions: How will you select the subjects or participants of the research? When and how often will you collect data from your subjects? And where will the research take place?

Choosing among all these different research types is part of the process of creating your research design , which determines exactly how the research will be conducted. But the type of research is only the first step: next, you have to make more concrete decisions about your research methods and the details of the study.

Read more about creating a research design

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McCombes, S. (2022, October 10). Types of Research Designs Compared | Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 29 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/research-methods/types-of-research-designs/

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Research Methods vs. Research Design: What's the Difference?

Key Differences

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Research Design 101

Everything You Need To Get Started (With Examples)

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewers: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) & Kerryn Warren (PhD) | April 2023

Navigating the world of research can be daunting, especially if you’re a first-time researcher. One concept you’re bound to run into fairly early in your research journey is that of “ research design ”. Here, we’ll guide you through the basics using practical examples , so that you can approach your research with confidence.

Overview: Research Design 101

What is research design.

• Research design types for quantitative studies
• Video explainer : quantitative research design
• Research design types for qualitative studies
• Video explainer : qualitative research design
• How to choose a research design
• Key takeaways

Research design refers to the overall plan, structure or strategy that guides a research project , from its conception to the final data analysis. A good research design serves as the blueprint for how you, as the researcher, will collect and analyse data while ensuring consistency, reliability and validity throughout your study.

Understanding different types of research designs is essential as helps ensure that your approach is suitable  given your research aims, objectives and questions , as well as the resources you have available to you. Without a clear big-picture view of how you’ll design your research, you run the risk of potentially making misaligned choices in terms of your methodology – especially your sampling , data collection and data analysis decisions.

The problem with defining research design…

One of the reasons students struggle with a clear definition of research design is because the term is used very loosely across the internet, and even within academia.

Some sources claim that the three research design types are qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods , which isn’t quite accurate (these just refer to the type of data that you’ll collect and analyse). Other sources state that research design refers to the sum of all your design choices, suggesting it’s more like a research methodology . Others run off on other less common tangents. No wonder there’s confusion!

In this article, we’ll clear up the confusion. We’ll explain the most common research design types for both qualitative and quantitative research projects, whether that is for a full dissertation or thesis, or a smaller research paper or article.

Research Design: Quantitative Studies

Quantitative research involves collecting and analysing data in a numerical form. Broadly speaking, there are four types of quantitative research designs: descriptive , correlational , experimental , and quasi-experimental . 

Descriptive Research Design

As the name suggests, descriptive research design focuses on describing existing conditions, behaviours, or characteristics by systematically gathering information without manipulating any variables. In other words, there is no intervention on the researcher’s part – only data collection.

For example, if you’re studying smartphone addiction among adolescents in your community, you could deploy a survey to a sample of teens asking them to rate their agreement with certain statements that relate to smartphone addiction. The collected data would then provide insight regarding how widespread the issue may be – in other words, it would describe the situation.

The key defining attribute of this type of research design is that it purely describes the situation . In other words, descriptive research design does not explore potential relationships between different variables or the causes that may underlie those relationships. Therefore, descriptive research is useful for generating insight into a research problem by describing its characteristics . By doing so, it can provide valuable insights and is often used as a precursor to other research design types.

Correlational Research Design

Correlational design is a popular choice for researchers aiming to identify and measure the relationship between two or more variables without manipulating them . In other words, this type of research design is useful when you want to know whether a change in one thing tends to be accompanied by a change in another thing.

For example, if you wanted to explore the relationship between exercise frequency and overall health, you could use a correlational design to help you achieve this. In this case, you might gather data on participants’ exercise habits, as well as records of their health indicators like blood pressure, heart rate, or body mass index. Thereafter, you’d use a statistical test to assess whether there’s a relationship between the two variables (exercise frequency and health).

As you can see, correlational research design is useful when you want to explore potential relationships between variables that cannot be manipulated or controlled for ethical, practical, or logistical reasons. It is particularly helpful in terms of developing predictions , and given that it doesn’t involve the manipulation of variables, it can be implemented at a large scale more easily than experimental designs (which will look at next).

That said, it’s important to keep in mind that correlational research design has limitations – most notably that it cannot be used to establish causality . In other words, correlation does not equal causation . To establish causality, you’ll need to move into the realm of experimental design, coming up next…

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Experimental Research Design

Experimental research design is used to determine if there is a causal relationship between two or more variables . With this type of research design, you, as the researcher, manipulate one variable (the independent variable) while controlling others (dependent variables). Doing so allows you to observe the effect of the former on the latter and draw conclusions about potential causality.

For example, if you wanted to measure if/how different types of fertiliser affect plant growth, you could set up several groups of plants, with each group receiving a different type of fertiliser, as well as one with no fertiliser at all. You could then measure how much each plant group grew (on average) over time and compare the results from the different groups to see which fertiliser was most effective.

Overall, experimental research design provides researchers with a powerful way to identify and measure causal relationships (and the direction of causality) between variables. However, developing a rigorous experimental design can be challenging as it’s not always easy to control all the variables in a study. This often results in smaller sample sizes , which can reduce the statistical power and generalisability of the results.

Moreover, experimental research design requires random assignment . This means that the researcher needs to assign participants to different groups or conditions in a way that each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any group (note that this is not the same as random sampling ). Doing so helps reduce the potential for bias and confounding variables . This need for random assignment can lead to ethics-related issues . For example, withholding a potentially beneficial medical treatment from a control group may be considered unethical in certain situations.

Quasi-Experimental Research Design

Quasi-experimental research design is used when the research aims involve identifying causal relations , but one cannot (or doesn’t want to) randomly assign participants to different groups (for practical or ethical reasons). Instead, with a quasi-experimental research design, the researcher relies on existing groups or pre-existing conditions to form groups for comparison.

For example, if you were studying the effects of a new teaching method on student achievement in a particular school district, you may be unable to randomly assign students to either group and instead have to choose classes or schools that already use different teaching methods. This way, you still achieve separate groups, without having to assign participants to specific groups yourself.

Naturally, quasi-experimental research designs have limitations when compared to experimental designs. Given that participant assignment is not random, it’s more difficult to confidently establish causality between variables, and, as a researcher, you have less control over other variables that may impact findings.

All that said, quasi-experimental designs can still be valuable in research contexts where random assignment is not possible and can often be undertaken on a much larger scale than experimental research, thus increasing the statistical power of the results. What’s important is that you, as the researcher, understand the limitations of the design and conduct your quasi-experiment as rigorously as possible, paying careful attention to any potential confounding variables .

Research Design: Qualitative Studies

There are many different research design types when it comes to qualitative studies, but here we’ll narrow our focus to explore the “Big 4”. Specifically, we’ll look at phenomenological design, grounded theory design, ethnographic design, and case study design.

Phenomenological Research Design

Phenomenological design involves exploring the meaning of lived experiences and how they are perceived by individuals. This type of research design seeks to understand people’s perspectives , emotions, and behaviours in specific situations. Here, the aim for researchers is to uncover the essence of human experience without making any assumptions or imposing preconceived ideas on their subjects.

For example, you could adopt a phenomenological design to study why cancer survivors have such varied perceptions of their lives after overcoming their disease. This could be achieved by interviewing survivors and then analysing the data using a qualitative analysis method such as thematic analysis to identify commonalities and differences.

Phenomenological research design typically involves in-depth interviews or open-ended questionnaires to collect rich, detailed data about participants’ subjective experiences. This richness is one of the key strengths of phenomenological research design but, naturally, it also has limitations. These include potential biases in data collection and interpretation and the lack of generalisability of findings to broader populations.

Grounded Theory Research Design

Grounded theory (also referred to as “GT”) aims to develop theories by continuously and iteratively analysing and comparing data collected from a relatively large number of participants in a study. It takes an inductive (bottom-up) approach, with a focus on letting the data “speak for itself”, without being influenced by preexisting theories or the researcher’s preconceptions.

As an example, let’s assume your research aims involved understanding how people cope with chronic pain from a specific medical condition, with a view to developing a theory around this. In this case, grounded theory design would allow you to explore this concept thoroughly without preconceptions about what coping mechanisms might exist. You may find that some patients prefer cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) while others prefer to rely on herbal remedies. Based on multiple, iterative rounds of analysis, you could then develop a theory in this regard, derived directly from the data (as opposed to other preexisting theories and models).

Grounded theory typically involves collecting data through interviews or observations and then analysing it to identify patterns and themes that emerge from the data. These emerging ideas are then validated by collecting more data until a saturation point is reached (i.e., no new information can be squeezed from the data). From that base, a theory can then be developed .

As you can see, grounded theory is ideally suited to studies where the research aims involve theory generation , especially in under-researched areas. Keep in mind though that this type of research design can be quite time-intensive , given the need for multiple rounds of data collection and analysis.

Ethnographic Research Design

Ethnographic design involves observing and studying a culture-sharing group of people in their natural setting to gain insight into their behaviours, beliefs, and values. The focus here is on observing participants in their natural environment (as opposed to a controlled environment). This typically involves the researcher spending an extended period of time with the participants in their environment, carefully observing and taking field notes .

All of this is not to say that ethnographic research design relies purely on observation. On the contrary, this design typically also involves in-depth interviews to explore participants’ views, beliefs, etc. However, unobtrusive observation is a core component of the ethnographic approach.

As an example, an ethnographer may study how different communities celebrate traditional festivals or how individuals from different generations interact with technology differently. This may involve a lengthy period of observation, combined with in-depth interviews to further explore specific areas of interest that emerge as a result of the observations that the researcher has made.

As you can probably imagine, ethnographic research design has the ability to provide rich, contextually embedded insights into the socio-cultural dynamics of human behaviour within a natural, uncontrived setting. Naturally, however, it does come with its own set of challenges, including researcher bias (since the researcher can become quite immersed in the group), participant confidentiality and, predictably, ethical complexities . All of these need to be carefully managed if you choose to adopt this type of research design.

Case Study Design

With case study research design, you, as the researcher, investigate a single individual (or a single group of individuals) to gain an in-depth understanding of their experiences, behaviours or outcomes. Unlike other research designs that are aimed at larger sample sizes, case studies offer a deep dive into the specific circumstances surrounding a person, group of people, event or phenomenon, generally within a bounded setting or context .

As an example, a case study design could be used to explore the factors influencing the success of a specific small business. This would involve diving deeply into the organisation to explore and understand what makes it tick – from marketing to HR to finance. In terms of data collection, this could include interviews with staff and management, review of policy documents and financial statements, surveying customers, etc.

While the above example is focused squarely on one organisation, it’s worth noting that case study research designs can have different variation s, including single-case, multiple-case and longitudinal designs. As you can see in the example, a single-case design involves intensely examining a single entity to understand its unique characteristics and complexities. Conversely, in a multiple-case design , multiple cases are compared and contrasted to identify patterns and commonalities. Lastly, in a longitudinal case design , a single case or multiple cases are studied over an extended period of time to understand how factors develop over time.

As you can see, a case study research design is particularly useful where a deep and contextualised understanding of a specific phenomenon or issue is desired. However, this strength is also its weakness. In other words, you can’t generalise the findings from a case study to the broader population. So, keep this in mind if you’re considering going the case study route.

How To Choose A Research Design

Having worked through all of these potential research designs, you’d be forgiven for feeling a little overwhelmed and wondering, “ But how do I decide which research design to use? ”. While we could write an entire post covering that alone, here are a few factors to consider that will help you choose a suitable research design for your study.

Data type: The first determining factor is naturally the type of data you plan to be collecting – i.e., qualitative or quantitative. This may sound obvious, but we have to be clear about this – don’t try to use a quantitative research design on qualitative data (or vice versa)!

Research aim(s) and question(s): As with all methodological decisions, your research aim and research questions will heavily influence your research design. For example, if your research aims involve developing a theory from qualitative data, grounded theory would be a strong option. Similarly, if your research aims involve identifying and measuring relationships between variables, one of the experimental designs would likely be a better option.

Time: It’s essential that you consider any time constraints you have, as this will impact the type of research design you can choose. For example, if you’ve only got a month to complete your project, a lengthy design such as ethnography wouldn’t be a good fit.

Resources: Take into account the resources realistically available to you, as these need to factor into your research design choice. For example, if you require highly specialised lab equipment to execute an experimental design, you need to be sure that you’ll have access to that before you make a decision.

Keep in mind that when it comes to research, it’s important to manage your risks and play as conservatively as possible. If your entire project relies on you achieving a huge sample, having access to niche equipment or holding interviews with very difficult-to-reach participants, you’re creating risks that could kill your project. So, be sure to think through your choices carefully and make sure that you have backup plans for any existential risks. Remember that a relatively simple methodology executed well generally will typically earn better marks than a highly-complex methodology executed poorly.

Recap: Key Takeaways

We’ve covered a lot of ground here. Let’s recap by looking at the key takeaways:

• Research design refers to the overall plan, structure or strategy that guides a research project, from its conception to the final analysis of data.
• Research designs for quantitative studies include descriptive , correlational , experimental and quasi-experimenta l designs.
• Research designs for qualitative studies include phenomenological , grounded theory , ethnographic and case study designs.
• When choosing a research design, you need to consider a variety of factors, including the type of data you’ll be working with, your research aims and questions, your time and the resources available to you.

If you need a helping hand with your research design (or any other aspect of your research), check out our private coaching services .

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

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Is there any blog article explaining more on Case study research design? Is there a Case study write-up template? Thank you.

Thanks this was quite valuable to clarify such an important concept.

Thanks for this simplified explanations. it is quite very helpful.

This was really helpful. thanks

Thank you for your explanation. I think case study research design and the use of secondary data in researches needs to be talked about more in your videos and articles because there a lot of case studies research design tailored projects out there.

Please is there any template for a case study research design whose data type is a secondary data on your repository?

This post is very clear, comprehensive and has been very helpful to me. It has cleared the confusion I had in regard to research design and methodology.

This post is helpful, easy to understand, and deconstructs what a research design is. Thanks

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Thank you very much for the post. It is wonderful and has cleared many worries in my mind regarding research designs. I really appreciate .

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Home » Research Design – Types, Methods and Examples

Research Design – Types, Methods and Examples

Table of Contents

Research Design

Definition:

Research design refers to the overall strategy or plan for conducting a research study. It outlines the methods and procedures that will be used to collect and analyze data, as well as the goals and objectives of the study. Research design is important because it guides the entire research process and ensures that the study is conducted in a systematic and rigorous manner.

Types of Research Design

Types of Research Design are as follows:

Descriptive Research Design

This type of research design is used to describe a phenomenon or situation. It involves collecting data through surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and observations. The aim of descriptive research is to provide an accurate and detailed portrayal of a particular group, event, or situation. It can be useful in identifying patterns, trends, and relationships in the data.

Correlational Research Design

Correlational research design is used to determine if there is a relationship between two or more variables. This type of research design involves collecting data from participants and analyzing the relationship between the variables using statistical methods. The aim of correlational research is to identify the strength and direction of the relationship between the variables.

Experimental Research Design

Experimental research design is used to investigate cause-and-effect relationships between variables. This type of research design involves manipulating one variable and measuring the effect on another variable. It usually involves randomly assigning participants to groups and manipulating an independent variable to determine its effect on a dependent variable. The aim of experimental research is to establish causality.

Quasi-experimental Research Design

Quasi-experimental research design is similar to experimental research design, but it lacks one or more of the features of a true experiment. For example, there may not be random assignment to groups or a control group. This type of research design is used when it is not feasible or ethical to conduct a true experiment.

Case Study Research Design

Case study research design is used to investigate a single case or a small number of cases in depth. It involves collecting data through various methods, such as interviews, observations, and document analysis. The aim of case study research is to provide an in-depth understanding of a particular case or situation.

Longitudinal Research Design

Longitudinal research design is used to study changes in a particular phenomenon over time. It involves collecting data at multiple time points and analyzing the changes that occur. The aim of longitudinal research is to provide insights into the development, growth, or decline of a particular phenomenon over time.

Structure of Research Design

The format of a research design typically includes the following sections:

• Introduction : This section provides an overview of the research problem, the research questions, and the importance of the study. It also includes a brief literature review that summarizes previous research on the topic and identifies gaps in the existing knowledge.
• Research Questions or Hypotheses: This section identifies the specific research questions or hypotheses that the study will address. These questions should be clear, specific, and testable.
• Research Methods : This section describes the methods that will be used to collect and analyze data. It includes details about the study design, the sampling strategy, the data collection instruments, and the data analysis techniques.
• Data Collection: This section describes how the data will be collected, including the sample size, data collection procedures, and any ethical considerations.
• Data Analysis: This section describes how the data will be analyzed, including the statistical techniques that will be used to test the research questions or hypotheses.
• Results : This section presents the findings of the study, including descriptive statistics and statistical tests.
• Discussion and Conclusion : This section summarizes the key findings of the study, interprets the results, and discusses the implications of the findings. It also includes recommendations for future research.
• References : This section lists the sources cited in the research design.

Example of Research Design

An Example of Research Design could be:

Research question: Does the use of social media affect the academic performance of high school students?

Research design:

• Research approach : The research approach will be quantitative as it involves collecting numerical data to test the hypothesis.
• Research design : The research design will be a quasi-experimental design, with a pretest-posttest control group design.
• Sample : The sample will be 200 high school students from two schools, with 100 students in the experimental group and 100 students in the control group.
• Data collection : The data will be collected through surveys administered to the students at the beginning and end of the academic year. The surveys will include questions about their social media usage and academic performance.
• Data analysis : The data collected will be analyzed using statistical software. The mean scores of the experimental and control groups will be compared to determine whether there is a significant difference in academic performance between the two groups.
• Limitations : The limitations of the study will be acknowledged, including the fact that social media usage can vary greatly among individuals, and the study only focuses on two schools, which may not be representative of the entire population.
• Ethical considerations: Ethical considerations will be taken into account, such as obtaining informed consent from the participants and ensuring their anonymity and confidentiality.

How to Write Research Design

Writing a research design involves planning and outlining the methodology and approach that will be used to answer a research question or hypothesis. Here are some steps to help you write a research design:

• Define the research question or hypothesis : Before beginning your research design, you should clearly define your research question or hypothesis. This will guide your research design and help you select appropriate methods.
• Select a research design: There are many different research designs to choose from, including experimental, survey, case study, and qualitative designs. Choose a design that best fits your research question and objectives.
• Develop a sampling plan : If your research involves collecting data from a sample, you will need to develop a sampling plan. This should outline how you will select participants and how many participants you will include.
• Define variables: Clearly define the variables you will be measuring or manipulating in your study. This will help ensure that your results are meaningful and relevant to your research question.
• Choose data collection methods : Decide on the data collection methods you will use to gather information. This may include surveys, interviews, observations, experiments, or secondary data sources.
• Create a data analysis plan: Develop a plan for analyzing your data, including the statistical or qualitative techniques you will use.
• Consider ethical concerns : Finally, be sure to consider any ethical concerns related to your research, such as participant confidentiality or potential harm.

When to Write Research Design

Research design should be written before conducting any research study. It is an important planning phase that outlines the research methodology, data collection methods, and data analysis techniques that will be used to investigate a research question or problem. The research design helps to ensure that the research is conducted in a systematic and logical manner, and that the data collected is relevant and reliable.

Ideally, the research design should be developed as early as possible in the research process, before any data is collected. This allows the researcher to carefully consider the research question, identify the most appropriate research methodology, and plan the data collection and analysis procedures in advance. By doing so, the research can be conducted in a more efficient and effective manner, and the results are more likely to be valid and reliable.

Purpose of Research Design

The purpose of research design is to plan and structure a research study in a way that enables the researcher to achieve the desired research goals with accuracy, validity, and reliability. Research design is the blueprint or the framework for conducting a study that outlines the methods, procedures, techniques, and tools for data collection and analysis.

Some of the key purposes of research design include:

• Providing a clear and concise plan of action for the research study.
• Ensuring that the research is conducted ethically and with rigor.
• Maximizing the accuracy and reliability of the research findings.
• Minimizing the possibility of errors, biases, or confounding variables.
• Ensuring that the research is feasible, practical, and cost-effective.
• Determining the appropriate research methodology to answer the research question(s).
• Identifying the sample size, sampling method, and data collection techniques.
• Determining the data analysis method and statistical tests to be used.
• Facilitating the replication of the study by other researchers.
• Enhancing the validity and generalizability of the research findings.

Applications of Research Design

There are numerous applications of research design in various fields, some of which are:

• Social sciences: In fields such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology, research design is used to investigate human behavior and social phenomena. Researchers use various research designs, such as experimental, quasi-experimental, and correlational designs, to study different aspects of social behavior.
• Education : Research design is essential in the field of education to investigate the effectiveness of different teaching methods and learning strategies. Researchers use various designs such as experimental, quasi-experimental, and case study designs to understand how students learn and how to improve teaching practices.
• Health sciences : In the health sciences, research design is used to investigate the causes, prevention, and treatment of diseases. Researchers use various designs, such as randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies, to study different aspects of health and healthcare.
• Business : Research design is used in the field of business to investigate consumer behavior, marketing strategies, and the impact of different business practices. Researchers use various designs, such as survey research, experimental research, and case studies, to study different aspects of the business world.
• Engineering : In the field of engineering, research design is used to investigate the development and implementation of new technologies. Researchers use various designs, such as experimental research and case studies, to study the effectiveness of new technologies and to identify areas for improvement.

Advantages of Research Design

Here are some advantages of research design:

• Systematic and organized approach : A well-designed research plan ensures that the research is conducted in a systematic and organized manner, which makes it easier to manage and analyze the data.
• Clear objectives: The research design helps to clarify the objectives of the study, which makes it easier to identify the variables that need to be measured, and the methods that need to be used to collect and analyze data.
• Minimizes bias: A well-designed research plan minimizes the chances of bias, by ensuring that the data is collected and analyzed objectively, and that the results are not influenced by the researcher’s personal biases or preferences.
• Efficient use of resources: A well-designed research plan helps to ensure that the resources (time, money, and personnel) are used efficiently and effectively, by focusing on the most important variables and methods.
• Replicability: A well-designed research plan makes it easier for other researchers to replicate the study, which enhances the credibility and reliability of the findings.
• Validity: A well-designed research plan helps to ensure that the findings are valid, by ensuring that the methods used to collect and analyze data are appropriate for the research question.
• Generalizability : A well-designed research plan helps to ensure that the findings can be generalized to other populations, settings, or situations, which increases the external validity of the study.

Research Design Vs Research Methodology

About the author.

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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What is design research methodology and why is it important?

What is design research.

Design research is the process of gathering, analyzing and interpreting data and insights to inspire, guide and provide context for designs. It’s a research discipline that applies both quantitative and qualitative research methods to help make well-informed design decisions.

Not to be confused with user experience research – focused on the usability of primarily digital products and experiences – design research is a broader discipline that informs the entire design process across various design fields. Beyond focusing solely on researching with users, design research can also explore aesthetics, cultural trends, historical context and more.

Design research has become more important in business, as brands place greater emphasis on building high-quality customer experiences as a point of differentiation.

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Design research vs. market research

The two may seem like the same thing at face value, but really they use different methods, serve different purposes and produce different insights.

Design research focuses on understanding user needs, behaviors and experiences to inform and improve product or service design.  Market research , on the other hand, is more concerned with the broader market dynamics, identifying opportunities, and maximizing sales and profitability.

Both are essential for the success of a product or service, but cater to different aspects of its lifecycle.

Design research in action: A mini mock case study

A popular furniture brand, known for its sleek and simple designs, faced an unexpected challenge: dropping sales in some overseas markets. To address this, they turned to design research – using quantitative and qualitative methods – to build a holistic view of the issue.

Company researchers visited homes in these areas to interview members of their target audience and understand local living spaces and preferences. Through these visits, they realized that while the local customers appreciated quality, their choices in furniture were heavily influenced by traditions and regional aesthetics, which the company's portfolio wasn’t addressing.

To further their understanding, the company rolled out surveys, asking people about their favorite materials, colors and furniture functionalities. They discovered a consistent desire for versatile furniture pieces that could serve multiple purposes. Additionally, the preference leaned towards certain regional colors and patterns that echoed local culture.

Armed with these insights, the company took to the drawing board. They worked on combining their minimalist style with the elements people in those markets valued. The result was a refreshed furniture line that seamlessly blended the brand's signature simplicity with local tastes. As this new line hit the market, it resonated deeply with customers in the markets, leading to a notable recovery in sales and even attracting new buyers.

When to use design research

Like most forms of research, design research should be used whenever there are gaps in your understanding of your audience’s needs, behaviors or preferences. It’s most valuable when used throughout the product development and design process.

When differing opinions within a team can derail a design process, design research provides concrete data and evidence-based insights, preventing decisions based on assumptions.

Design research brings value to any product development and design process, but it’s especially important in larger, resource intensive projects to minimize risk and create better outcomes for all.

The benefits of design research

Design research may be perceived as time-consuming, but in reality it’s often a time – and money – saver that can. easily prove to be the difference between strong product-market fit and a product with no real audience.

Deeper customer knowledge

Understanding your audience on a granular level is paramount – without tapping into the nuances of their desires, preferences and pain points, you run the risk of misalignment.

Design research dives deep into these intricacies, ensuring that products and services don't just meet surface level demands. Instead, they can resonate and foster a bond between the user and the brand, building foundations for lasting loyalty .

Efficiency and cost savings

More often than not, designing products or services based on assumptions or gut feelings leads to costly revisions, underwhelming market reception and wasted resources.

Design research offers a safeguard against these pitfalls by grounding decisions in real, tangible insights directly from the target market – streamlining the development process and ensuring that every dollar spent yields maximum value.

New opportunities

Design research often brings to light overlooked customer needs and emerging trends. The insights generated can shift the trajectory of product development, open doors to new and novel solutions, and carve out fresh market niches.

Sometimes it's not just about avoiding mistakes – it can be about illuminating new paths of innovation.

Enhanced competitive edge

In today’s world, one of the most powerful ways to stand out as a business is to be relentlessly user focused. By ensuring that products and services are continuously refined based on user feedback, businesses can maintain a step ahead of competitors.

Whether it’s addressing pain points competitors might overlook, or creating user experiences that are not just satisfactory but delightful, design research can be the foundations for a sharpened competitive edge.

Design research methods

The broad scope of design research means it demands a variety of research tools, with both numbers-driven and people-driven methods coming into play. There are many methods to choose from, so we’ve outlined those that are most common and can have the biggest impact.

This stage is about gathering initial insights to set a clear direction.

Literature review

Simply put, this research method involves investigating existing secondary research, like studies and articles, in your design area. It's a foundational method that helps you understand current knowledge and identify any gaps – think of it like surveying the landscape before navigating through it.

Field observations

By observing people's interactions in real-world settings, we gather genuine insights. Field observations are about connecting the dots between observed behaviors and your design's intended purpose. This method proves invaluable as it can reveal how design choices can impact everyday experiences.

Stakeholder interviews

Talking to those invested in the design's outcome, be it users or experts, is key. These discussions provide first-hand feedback that can clarify user expectations and illuminate the path towards a design that resonates with its audience.

This stage is about delving deeper and starting to shape your design concepts based on what you’ve already discovered.

Design review

This is a closer look at existing designs in the market or other related areas. Design reviews are very valuable because they can provide an understanding of current design trends and standards – helping you see where there's room for innovation or improvement.

Without a design review, you could be at risk of reinventing the wheel.

Persona building

This involves creating detailed profiles representing different groups in your target audience using real data and insights.

Personas help bring to life potential users, ensuring your designs address actual needs and scenarios. By having these "stand-in" users, you can make more informed design choices tailored to specific user experiences.

Putting your evolving design ideas to the test and gauging their effectiveness in the real world.

Usability testing

This is about seeing how real users interact with a design.

In usability testing you observe this process, note where they face difficulties and moments of satisfaction. It's a hands-on way to ensure that the design is intuitive and meets user needs.

Benchmark testing

Benchmark testing is about comparing your design's performance against set standards or competitor products.

Doing this gives a clearer idea of where your design stands in the broader context and highlights areas for improvement or differentiation. With these insights you can make informed decisions to either meet or exceed those benchmarks.

This final stage is about gathering feedback once your design is out in the world, ensuring it stays relevant and effective.

Feedback surveys

After users have interacted with the design for some time, use feedback surveys to gather their thoughts. The results of these surveys will help to ensure that you have your finger on the pulse of user sentiment – enabling iterative improvements.

Remember, simple questions can reveal a lot about what's working and where improvements might be needed.

Focus groups

These are structured, moderator-led discussions with a small group of users . The aim is for the conversation to dive deep into their experiences with the design and extract rich insights – not only capturing what users think but also why.

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With insights from Qualtrics, organizations can identify and resolve the greatest friction points in their business, retain and engage top talent, and bring the right products and services to market. Nearly 20,000 organizations around the world use Qualtrics’ advanced AI to listen, understand, and take action. Qualtrics uses its vast universe of experience data to form the largest database of human sentiment in the world. Qualtrics is co-headquartered in Provo, Utah and Seattle.

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Crop improvement by genome editing involves the targeted alteration of genes to improve plant traits, such as stress tolerance, disease resistance or nutritional content. Techniques for the targeted modification of genomes have evolved from generating random mutations to precise base substitutions, followed by insertions, substitutions and deletions of small DNA fragments, and are finally starting to achieve precision manipulation of large DNA segments. Recent developments in base editing, prime editing and other CRISPR-associated systems have laid a solid technological foundation to enable plant basic research and precise molecular breeding. In this Review, we systematically outline the technological principles underlying precise and targeted genome-modification methods. We also review methods for the delivery of genome-editing reagents in plants and outline emerging crop-breeding strategies based on targeted genome modification. Finally, we consider potential future developments in precise genome-editing technologies, delivery methods and crop-breeding approaches, as well as regulatory policies for genome-editing products.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32388201), the National Key Research and Development Program (2022YFF1002802), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Precision Seed Design and Breeding, XDA24020102), and the New Cornerstone Science Foundation. The authors thank K. T. Zhao, C. Xue, R. Liang, G. Liu, J. Hu, H. Li, Y. Li, F. Qiu, S. Li, Y. Lei and X. Jiang for their insightful comments on the manuscript.

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These authors contributed equally: Boshu Li, Chao Sun.

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New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Center for Genome Editing, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

Boshu Li, Chao Sun & Caixia Gao

College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya, China

State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

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B.L., C.S. and C.G. researched the literature. All authors substantially contributed to discussions of the content and wrote the article. J.L. and C.G. reviewed and/or edited the manuscript before submission.

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A bacterium used for plant delivery. It can induce the formation of hairy roots in the infection site. It contains a root-inducing plasmid that carries a T-DNA segment capable of integrating into the plant genome. Typically, this T-DNA harbours the desired sequences intended for transfer into the plant genome.

A bacterium used for plant delivery. It contains a modified tumour-inducing plasmid that carries a T-DNA segment capable of integrating into the plant genome. Typically, this T-DNA harbours the desired sequences intended for transfer into the plant genome, as well as marker genes for selecting positive events.

(CRISPRi). CRISPR interference utilizes dCas9 either alone or with a transcription repressor to inhibit gene expression by targeting specific DNA sequences without altering the genetic code, offering precise control for studying gene functions and regulatory processes within cells.

(gRNA). An RNA molecule used to direct Cas9 or similar enzymes to a specific DNA or RNA sequence for precise modification.

A phenomenon in which the offspring of two different inbred lines or varieties exhibit improved traits compared to their parents, such as increased yield, growth or biotic or abiotic resistance. Also known as heterosis.

The DNA strand that is not complementary to the guide RNA sequence. DNA nicking by PE2 and base deamination by base editors occur on the non-targeted DNA strand.

A genetic transformation technique, also known as gene gun or biolistic delivery, that involves loading exogenous DNA onto microscopic metal particles that are accelerated and propelled into plant cells or other target cells by compressed gas or physical force.

(PAM). A short DNA sequence immediately adjacent to the target site that is essential for the recognition and binding of Cas protein to the target DNA.

A specific structure consisting of one DNA strand, its complementary DNA strand and an RNA strand located between them.

The DNA strand that is complementary to the guide RNA sequence. DNA nicking by base editors occurs on the targeted DNA strand.

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Original research article, application of online to offline teaching mode in the training of non-anesthesiology residents in the department of anesthesiology: a randomized, controlled trial.

• 1 Department of Anesthesiology, Huainan First People’s Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China
• 2 Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nangjing, China

Objective: To explore the effect of applying the online to offline teaching mode in the training of non-anesthesiology residents in department of anesthesiology.

Trial design: The randomized controlled trial was performed on non-anesthesiology residents from Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University.

Methods: All selected residents were randomly divided into the traditional teaching group (Group T) and the online to offline teaching group (Group O) by the random number table method. Traditional teaching mode was used in Group T, while the online to offline teaching mode was used in Group O. The training period lasted for two months. At the end of the training, theoretical and clinical skills were assessed for all residents, and students’ satisfaction scores on teaching were investigated from the aspects of teaching mode, stimulating learning interest, improving learning process and teaching satisfaction. The teaching efficiency was compared and analyzed in the two groups.

Results: In total, 39 cases in Group O and 38 cases in Group T were included in the statistical analysis. Compared with Group T, theory test scores, clinical skills test scores, and overall scores improved significantly in Group O (82.2 ± 8.1 vs. 91.3 ± 7.6; 85.1 ± 4.7 vs. 93.3 ± 5.4 and 83.4 ± 6.4 vs. 92.1 ± 6.7, respectively, p  < 0.01). Compared with Group T, scores on teaching mode, stimulating learning interest, improving learning process and teaching satisfaction were higher in Group O (81.1 ± 6.9 vs. 93.7 ± 5.2; 83.6 ± 5.8 vs. 91.6 ± 6.4; 82.4 ± 5.3 vs. 90.9 ± 4.8 and 82.1 ± 5.9 vs. 92.1 ± 5.5, respectively, p  < 0.01).

Conclusion: The online to offline teaching mode can improve the level of professional theory and clinical skill operation, and teaching satisfaction of the non-anesthesiology residents in department of anesthesiology, thus improving the teaching effectiveness.

1 Introduction

Standardized training for residents is an important part of post-graduation education for medical students. With the increasingly refined division of clinical disciplines, although clinical specialists are familiar with the knowledge and skills of their major, they have some deficiencies in theoretical knowledge and clinical practice of related disciplines outside their major ( 1 ). Various monitoring theories and operation techniques, emergency treatment of various perioperative complications and pain treatment involved in clinical anesthesia work are the basic skills that clinicians should master ( 2 ). Therefore, it is necessary to explore the problems existing during the rotation of non-anesthesiology residents to anesthesiology department and propose corresponding solutions and countermeasures. These students’ understanding of anesthesiology only was limited in the medical school of surgery introduction to anesthesiology part, and training time in department of anesthesiology was short in domestic hospitals (no more than two months). There were many problems in the process of teaching, such as students’ lack of purpose, enthusiasm and initiative, also teachers’ lack of enthusiasm and guidance, even strict training rules and evaluation plans ( 3 , 4 ). Therefore, compared with the traditional teaching by PowerPoint (PPT) and auxiliary skills operation, it is particularly important to stimulate these students’ interest and active their initiative in learning non-professional knowledge.

With the rapid development of information and network technology, and the continuous innovation of educational technology and means, the advantages of the mixed teaching mode combining online teaching with traditional offline teaching have become increasingly significant ( 5 ). The online to offline (O2O) mode first emerged in the field of e-commerce, which referred to the business model that used the online Internet as an offline trading platform to promote consumption and promotion ( 6 ). When the O2O mode was introduced into teaching, its connotation produced a qualitative change. “O2O Teaching Mode” was the integration of online and offline teaching, which used computer information, network technology and platform ( 7 , 8 ). Studies have shown that using the O2O teaching mode in teaching of English ( 9 ), computer science ( 10 ) and medical students ( 11 ) have achieved good results such as the improvement of students’ learning enthusiasm, interest and academic performance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the application of O2O teaching mode in the training of non-anesthesiology residents in the department of anesthesiology, so as to provide reference for improving the training quality of these residents.

2.1 Ethics statement

The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) recommendations ( 12 ) were followed in this study for the design and implementation of randomized controlled trials. Ethical approval for this study (2021-02-028-K01) was provided by the Institutional Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. All participants involved were informed of the proposal and gave their written, informed consent.

2.2 Participants

Eighty non-anesthesiology residents were enrolled in this study, who were trained from May 4th 2021 to May 5th 2023 in department of anesthesiology, the Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. All residents were randomly divided into two groups by the random number table method: the traditional teaching group (Group T) and the online to offline teaching group (Group O), with 40 cases in each group. The traditional teaching method was used in Group T, while the online to offline teaching mode was used in Group O. Inclusion criteria: (1) Non-anesthesiology postgraduate students; (2) The training time in department of anesthesiology was two months; (3) The students had physician qualification certificate. Exclusion criteria: Failure to complete the study according to the prescribed training program.

2.3 Sample size and randomization

According to previous relevant studies ( 7 , 11 ) and results of preliminary test, it was estimated that the final score of residents in group O was about 9.5 points higher than that of Group T, α =0.05, 1- β =0.8, 36 cases were required in each group, assuming that the shedding rate was 10%, and the sample size included in the initial screening was 40 cases in each group. Residents were randomly assigned to one of the two groups. Random tables were generated by computer. Eighty sealed envelopes were prepared by a statistician who did not participate in the study.

2.4 Study design

2.4.1 group o.

① Online class: teachers published PPT, clinical operation videos and background materials related to the training course through the Chinese university Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) platform before classes, and students were required to use flexible intelligent devices to complete independent learning before class. The online platform provided detailed information about the number of learners, the learning progress of the students and duration of study. After students ended their independent learning and examination, the platform provided evaluation and analysis of teachers’ input, so that students could have a preliminary understanding of their knowledge mastery, and enter offline classes with thinking and problems about the course content. ② Offline class: residents were taught by PPT once a week, mainly face to face to discuss the theoretical and operational content of the platform that was difficult for students to understand. The operation of skills was from clinical operation videos by online class, observation, teacher-assisted practice to independent practice ( Table 1 ).

Table 1 . Standardized training program for non-anesthesia residents in the department of anesthesiology.

2.4.2 Group T

Residents were taught by PPT twice a week, and followed the teacher in the daily clinical process. The operation of skills training was also followed with Table 1 , but from learning by offline class, observation, teacher-assisted practice to independent practice. Additionally, to ensure the comparability with Group O, we converted the online study time of students in Group O into the offline self-study time for students in Group T. We played the same PPT and clinical operation videos, distributed the same materials and test volumes in the classroom where there was a teacher who ensured the same duration of study as recorded by MOOC in Group O and provided evaluation and analysis of students’ independent learning and examination.

2.5 Outcomes

2.5.1 main outcomes.

Residents’ final examination scores. All students took offline theoretical and operational exams on the last day of training in the department of anesthesiology. The theoretical examination was based on the questions according to the Content and Standards of Standardized Training for Resident Doctors (Trial in China), including single choice, multiple choice, noun explanation and essay questions. The clinical skills assessment was carried out according to the Standard Scheme for The Clinical Practice Ability of Standardized Training of Residents (Department of Anesthesiology in China), including connection of conventional monitor, use of simple respirator, endotracheal intubation, single cardiopulmonary resuscitation and electrical defibrillation. The scores consisted of two parts: theory test score and clinical skills test score, accounting for 100 points, respectively. Final score = 60% theoretical score + 40% skill score.

2.5.2 Secondary outcomes

Satisfaction score for clinical teaching. The clinical teaching satisfaction questionnaire was used to evaluate residents’ satisfaction with clinical teaching. The questionnaire score mainly included four items: teaching mode, stimulating learning interest, improving learning process and teaching satisfaction, each with a full score of 100 points. The satisfaction survey was conducted anonymously.

2.6 Statistical analysis

Data analysis was performed by the SPSS (version 25.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, United States). Continuous variables were presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD), and comparisons between groups were performed by an independent sample t -tests. Categorical variables were presented as frequency, and comparisons between groups were performed using the χ 2 test. A p -value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

3.1 Residents recruitment

In this study, 80 residents were initially screened, and 3 of them were excluded (One resident was excluded for personal leave in Group O, while one was excluded for sick leave and another for transferred to other departments in Group T). In total, 39 cases in Group O and 38 cases in Group T were included in the statistical analysis ( Figure 1 ).

Figure 1 . CONSORT flow diagram. In the study, a total of 80 participants were enrolled initially and three residents were excluded during the trial. Finally, there were 77 residents included in the statistical analysis (39 in Group O and 38 in Group C, respectively). CONSORT: the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials.

3.2 Baseline characteristics of the two groups

The non-anesthesiology residents referred in this study majored in general surgery, orthopedics, emergency, critical care medicine, E.N.T., urology, oncology, cardiothoracic surgery and obstetrics and gynecology, respectively. There was no significant difference in age, gender, major, and type of postgraduates between group O and group T ( p  > 0.05) ( Table 2 ).

Table 2 . Comparison of baseline characteristics in the two groups ( n  = 77).

3.3 Test score of the two groups

Compared with Group T, theory test scores, clinical skills test scores, and overall scores improved significantly in Group O ( p  < 0.01) ( Table 3 ).

Table 3 . Test score of residents in the two groups (mean ± SD, score).

3.4 Teaching score of the two groups

Compared with Group T, scores in teaching mode, stimulating learning interest, improving learning process and teaching satisfaction were higher in Group O ( p  < 0.01) ( Table 4 ).

Table 4 . Score of teaching in the two groups (mean ± SD, score).

4 Discussion

With the development of medicine, the scale of hospitals is constantly expanding, and the division of clinical disciplines is becoming refined. Various specialties pay more and more attention to the cultivation of the theory and skill operation of their professional doctors, but the learning of other interdisciplinary theories and skills are still insufficient. The department of anesthesiology of our hospital also undertakes a large number of standardized training tasks for non-anesthesiology residents every year, including directed education and socialized recruitment of postgraduates. These students are mainly involved in a variety of surgery-related majors, such as general surgery, orthopedics, emergency department, intensive care medicine, E.N.T., obstetrics and gynecology, etc. As residents in anesthesiology, we used to use traditional teaching by PPT and “hand-in-hand” operation training for non-anesthesiology residents, which are difficult to stimulate their interest in learning and often lack active initiative because of insufficient understanding of anesthesiology related theories and operations ( 13 ). Most of them reflected that the knowledge in class was difficult to understand, and the actual operation was also very passive and difficult to accept. Therefore, this study adopted the O2O teaching model with preview, talking and interaction online outside the classroom. The results suggested that this teaching model improve the teaching effectiveness to non-anesthesiology residents in department of anesthesiology.

4.1 Traditional teaching in department of anesthesiology

Traditional teaching methods are relatively simple in department of anesthesiology. The main body of teaching were teachers, who only regarded students as the container to accept knowledge, and to some extent ignored the existence of students as the subject of learning. Students only took the test for the purpose and mechanically memorized the knowledge points in the traditional teaching mode. In the study of Duan et al. ( 14 ), they compared the effects of an online teaching mode on WeChat platform with the traditional teaching model on learning outcomes of anesthesiology residents during the COVID-19 outbreak. The results showed that the examination performance, clinical thinking, communication skills, learning interest and self-learning ability of residents in the group of traditional teaching model were worse than those in the group of online teaching mode. However, online teaching alone cannot meet the needs of residents’ practical skills and face-to-face communication with teachers and patients. Thus, online to offline teaching mode was designed in this study. Additionally, the integration of teaching and information technology was poor used in traditional teaching mode. At present, the use of information technology in the department of anesthesiology often stayed in PPT, after-class paper examination and questionnaire survey. Some hospitals or teachers were still in the stage of multimedia teaching and “face-to-face” teaching, and they could not flexibly use various online teaching platforms, WeChat public accounts and other media. In the study of Huang et al. ( 15 ), they used WeChat public platform for education in anesthesiology residents. The results suggested that residents in the WeChat group perform significantly better on assessments than those in the traditional group regarding theoretical knowledge scores, operational skill scores and overall scores, and the questionnaire results indicated that the degree of satisfaction of the residents and teachers in the WeChat group was significantly higher than that in the traditional group. In contrast, the MOOC platform was used in the present study which was more versatile and the most widely used platform for teaching in China ( 16 ). Besides, residents’ feedback to the class was not optimistic in the traditional teaching mode ( 17 ). Some residents had not prepared before class and knew nothing about the content of teaching. It was difficult to understand the professional knowledge points. Therefore, they can not pay attention in class and thought the course was boring.

4.2 Classification of O2O teaching mode

According to the differences of curriculum design idea, the current O2O teaching modes were as follows. (1) The O2O teaching mode based on the traditional classroom idea was reported by Daulatabad et al. ( 18 ). In this mode, online learning was only an auxiliary and supplement to the offline traditional classroom. Teachers can upload teaching content and expand knowledge online for students’ preparation before class, consolidation and expansion after class. Offline classroom was still based on the students’ preparation before class. This type of teaching mode can be used for courses with strong theory and difficult for students’ self-study. (2) The O2O teaching mode based on the concept of flipped classroom reported by Zhang et al. ( 19 ). Students mainly chose courses and self-studied through online platform. They can also interact online through social network, participate in offline class regularly and conduct collaborative learning. This teaching mode can be used for easy self-study courses. (3) The O2O teaching mode based on the mixed teaching idea reported by Ding et al. ( 20 ). This mode divided the courses into easy and difficult content. Students studied easy content online by themselves, and made discussion and practice by offline face-to-face class. The difficult content was mainly learned by offline classroom lecture, while the online class was mainly for practice and consolidation. Considering the characteristics of anesthesiology and the correlation between different majors, the third O2O teaching mode was adopted in this study. Residents learned easy content online, and made discussion of difficult content in offline class. The results of this study showed that this mode improved the learning motivation of residents and the effect of teaching.

4.3 Advantages of the O2O teaching mode

Teaching resources were effectively utilized in the O2O teaching mode. In traditional teaching mode, many high-quality teaching resources on the internet, such as videos, animation and so on, were often unable to be used due to limitation of conditions. The study of Shi et al. ( 21 ) showed that teachers could directly send these resources to students through links and other forms in the O2O teaching mode, and save time and effort, which improved teachers’ work efficiency, so as to concentrate on polishing better course resources. Secondly, the time and space for students’ study were greatly expanded. Students can only listen in the classroom during class time in traditional teaching mode. Most of the O2O teaching mode was online education. Students can learn at any time with only a computer or a mobile phone, which was conducive to students to make better use of the fragmented time ( 22 ). However, online teaching did not completely replace classroom teaching. Thus, in our study, residents in Group O were also taught by PPT in Offline class once a week, mainly face to face to discuss the theoretical and operational content of the platform that was difficult for students to understand, which can improve students’ interest and efficiency in learning. The results of this study also showed that the theory test scores, clinical skills test scores, and overall scores improved significantly in Group O. In addition, the interaction between teachers and students was enhanced in the O2O teaching mode, which could improve the quality of teaching. According to the results of Asfhar et al. ( 23 ), teachers can learn students’ preview, review, homework completion, participation in discussion, online examination and other conditions through background data in O2O teaching mode, and students can also see teaching resources and data on the platform and become teaching supervisors. Therefore, teachers and students can communicate and interact online, score each other, which will be conducive to the establishment of a harmonious teacher-student relationship. So that in the present study, students had significantly higher scores of teaching mode and teaching satisfaction in Group O.

4.4 Limitations of the O2O teaching mode and this study

Mobile phones were one of the important learning tools in O2O teaching mode. Some students played mobile games in class, which might have a negative impact on learning ( 24 ). In this study, we increased the frequency of answering questions online and offline in class. Students who played mobile phones could not answer questions in time, which might lead to low scores in class, thus promoting students to improve their learning concentration. In addition, the function construction of the course platform was also very important. If the mobile phone was locked after the students’ scanning the code and entering the classroom, it could only be synchronized with the teacher’s mobile phone or computer. Study of Zhao et al. ( 25 ) showed that the extensive use of O2O teaching mode also brought great pressure to students.

Due to the fact that subjects of this study were non-anesthesiology residents and different training methods of medical students in China were trained in different ways, the examination methods in this study were not based on the standardized training examination for anesthesiology residents in the United States. However, there was no unified international standard for the standardized training of non-anesthesiology residents in the department of anesthesiology. In our study, the training of non-anesthesiology residents followed the same domestic standards including basic theory, knowledge and skills according to anesthesiology residents, which did not affect the evaluation and promotion of online to offline teaching mode. In addition, due to the large number of course chapters and automatic evaluation scores on the MOOC platform, the scores of students’ online learning and evaluation were not counted in this study, but the final theoretical and operational examination scores on the last day of training in the department of anesthesiology were taken as the main outcomes. Finally, though it was difficult to achieve double blinding in this study, we ensured those who scored the test and the questionnaire did not know the grouping.

5 Conclusion

In conclusion, this randomized control trial shows that application of online to offline teaching mode in non-anesthesiology residents in department of anesthesiology can improve the level of anesthesia-related professional theory and clinical skill operation in these students, and their satisfaction with teaching mode, so as to improve the teaching effectiveness.

Data availability statement

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.

Ethics statement

Ethical approval for this study (2021-02-028-K01) was provided by the Institutional Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. All participants involved were informed of the proposal and gave their written, informed consent.

Author contributions

Y-yZ: Data curation, Funding acquisition, Methodology, Writing – original draft. T-tZ: Methodology, Software, Writing – original draft. L-hL: Conceptualization, Investigation, Writing – original draft. QL: Investigation, Writing – original draft. L-jP: Investigation, Writing – original draft. QW: Conceptualization, Investigation, Writing – original draft. WW: Project administration, Supervision, Writing – review & editing. W-yY: Data curation, Writing – review & editing.

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the Anhui University Provincial Quality Engineering Project-Education and Teaching Reform Project (2022jyxm417).

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to all residents involved in this study for their cooperation. We are also very grateful to those who help us with the writing of the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Keywords: online to offline, teaching mode, residents, standardized training, anesthesiology

Citation: Zhao Y-y, Zhang T-t, Li L-h, Liu Q, Peng L-j, Wang Q, Wang W and Yu W-y (2024) Application of online to offline teaching mode in the training of non-anesthesiology residents in the department of anesthesiology: a randomized, controlled trial. Front. Med . 11:1329538. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1329538

Received: 03 November 2023; Accepted: 18 April 2024; Published: 29 April 2024.

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Copyright © 2024 Zhao, Zhang, Li, Liu, Peng, Wang, Wang and Yu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Wei Wang, [email protected]

† These authors have contributed equally to this work

This article is part of the Research Topic

Future Prospects of Learning in the Clinical Environment: Exploring the Technological Revolution