Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 10

Assignment - Essay Example Historical research design, on the hand, entails trailing the development of a given idea and making conclusions out of such data. In causal designs, a relationship is hypothesized between two variables. In such a circumstance, there must be a one dependent variable and one or more independent variables (Turksen 2006, p. 143). The nature of such a relationship is essential for making given conclusions. For instance, a researcher may ask if one wants to explore the perceptions about a given social phenomenon and how such perceptions link to other outlooks. Besides, the researcher may ask if one wants to use a distinct field method for studying a given group and use another method for studying another subset of a population. Brannen defines research design as a context of inquiry. In this sense, she means a research design determines the process and structure of investigation. It is essential to highlight the logic of the study that drives the inquiry process. In this sense, the researcher should clearly define whether one wants an inductive system or a deductive system (Tolk 2013, p. 113). However, it is essential to note that mixed methods may still involve both of the logics. For instance, survey research may involve both deductive and inductive logics. In qualitative designs, the research tests ideas and generate new ones. She also argues that this phase involves framing researchable questions. These are not actual research questions but questions that will guide the kind of investigation a researcher chooses (Siraj-Blatchford 2010, p. 467). In a project, researchers may ask different types of questions. In the end, the hybrid nature of the questions influences the choice of a method or the choice o f a set of methods. Ercikan and Roth emphasize on the dichotomy of qualitative and quantitative research designs. They argue that this is a primordial basis for constructing any given research. Polarization usually occurs by terming quantitative research as