A research design is the set of methods and procedures used in collecting and analyzing measures

of the variables specified in the research problem research. The design of a study defines the study
type (descriptive, correlation, semi-experimental, experimental, review, meta-analytic) and sub-type
(e.g., descriptive-longitudinal case study), research problem, hypotheses, independent and
dependent variables, experimental design, and, if applicable, data collection methods and a
statistical analysis plan. A research design is a framework that has been created to find answers to
research questions.

A literary form of qualitative research, narrative research is all about collecting and telling a story or
stories (in detail). Researchers write narratives about experiences of individuals, describe a life
experience, and discuss the meaning of the experience with the individual. Usually, a
narrative research design is focused on studying an individual person. The researcher becomes the
interpreter of the individual's stories, as opposed to a community.

Case study should be defined as a research strategy, an empirical inquiry that investigates a
phenomenon within its real-life context. Case study research can mean single and multiple case
studies, can include quantitative evidence, relies on multiple sources of evidence, and benefits from
the prior development of theoretical propositions. Case studies should not be confused with
qualitative research and they can be based on any mix of quantitative and qualitative
evidence.Single-subject research provides the statistical framework for making inferences from
quantitative case-study data.[2]

Grounded theory is a research tool which enables you to seek out and conceptualise the latent
social patterns and structures of your area of interest through the process of constant comparison.
Initially you will use an inductive approach to generate substantive codes from your data, later your
developing theory will suggest to you where to go next to collect data and which, more-focussed,
questions to ask. This is the deductive phase of the grounded theory process

What is Phenomenology?

Phenomenology as a research design is growing in popularity, particularly among doctoral

learners. Departing from the traditional positivistic nature of most survey and quantitative
research, phenomenology explores the lived experiences of individuals and groups, and can
provide a means to uncover deep understanding of these experiences from the perspective of the
individual actor or the group. While many doctoral students gravitate towards this design, it can
also be challenging to design and execute an effective phenomenological study–perhaps even
more challenging than more traditional designs.