METHODOLOGICAL DESIGN OF AN INVESTIGATION: CHARACTERISTICS, TYPES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The methodological design of an investigation can be described as the general plan that dictates what will be done to answer the research question. The key to methodological design is to find the best solution for each situation.

The section on the methodological design of an investigation answers two main questions: how the information was collected or generated and how this information was analyzed.

In a study this part must be written in a direct and precise way; it is also written in the past tense. The methodological design can be divided into several categories, but there are two main groups: quantitative and qualitative. In turn, each of these groups has its own subdivisions.

In general, quantitative methods emphasize objective measurements and statistical and mathematical analysis of information. They seek to collect information through experimentation and surveys.

Qualitative studies place importance on how reality is built and the relationship between the researcher and the object of study. Usually these investigations are based on observation and case studies.

The methodological design is the set of methods used to collect and analyze the measurable variables that are specified in a research problem. This design is the framework that is created to find the answers to the questions that arise in the investigation.

The methodological design specifies the groups of information that will be collected, towards which groups the information will be collected and when the intervention will occur.

The success of the methodological design and possible design biases will depend on the type of questions that are addressed in the study.

The study design defines the type of study - descriptive, correlational, experimental, among others - and its subcategory, such as a case study.

Main features

A methodological design must introduce the general methodological approach to investigating the problem.

It basically indicates if the research is quantitative, qualitative or a mixture of both (combined). It also includes whether it is taking a neutral approach or is it action research.

It also indicates how the approach fits into the overall research design. The methods for collecting the information are connected to the research problem; They can respond to the problem that arises.

A methodological design also specifies the data collection methods to be used. For example, if surveys, interviews, questionnaires, observation, among other methods will be used.

If existing information is being analyzed, how it was originally created and its relevance to the study should also be described.

Likewise, this section also sets out how the results will be analyzed; for example, if it will be a statistical analysis or specialized theories.

Methodological designs also provide background and a foundation for methodologies with which the reader is not familiar.

Additionally, they provide a justification for the selection of the subject or the sampling procedure.

If you intend to do interviews, explain how the sample population was selected. If texts are analyzed, it is exposed which texts they are and why they were selected.

Finally, the methodological design also describes possible limitations. This means mentioning any practical limitations that could affect the collection of information and how you plan to handle possible errors.

If the methodology can lead to any problems, it is openly stated what they are and why the choice of the same despite the disadvantages.

The 4 types of methodological design

1- Descriptive research

Descriptive studies seek to describe the current status of an identifiable variable or phenomenon.

The researcher does not usually start with a hypothesis, but may develop it after collecting the information.

Analysis and synthesis of the information test the hypothesis. The systematic collection of information requires a careful selection of units studied and the measurement of each variable in order to control them and demonstrate their validity.

Examples

- A description of the use of cigarettes in adolescents.

- A description of how parents feel after the school year.

- A description of the attitude of scientists on global warming.

2- Correlational research

This type of study seeks to determine the relationship between two or more variables using statistical information.

The relationships between a number of facts are sought and interpreted to recognize trends and patterns in the information, but it is not intended to establish a cause and an effect for them.

The information, the relationships and the distribution of variables are simply observed. The variables are not manipulated; they are only identified and studied as they occur in a natural environment.

Examples

- The relationship between intelligence and self-esteem.

- The relationship between eating habits and anxiety.

- The covariance between smoking and lung disease.

3- Experimental research

Experimental studies use the scientific method to establish a cause and effect relationship between the group of variables that make up an investigation.

Experimental research is often thought of as a laboratory study, but this is not always the case.

An experimental study is any study where an effort is made to identify and impose control over all but one variable. An independent variable is manipulated to determine the effects on the other variables.

Subjects are randomly assigned to experimental treatments rather than being identified in naturally occurring groups.

Examples

- The effect of a new plan to treat breast cancer.

- The effect that systematic preparation and a support system have on the psychological state and cooperation of children who must prepare for surgery.

4- Semi-experimental research

They are similar to experimental designs; They seek to establish a cause and effect relationship. But in this type of study an independent variable is identified and not manipulated by the researcher.

In this case, it is a question of measuring the effects of the independent variable on the dependent variable.

The researcher does not assign groups randomly and must use groups that are naturally formed or already exist.

The identified control groups that are exposed to the treatment are studied and compared with those that do not go through this.

Examples

- The effect of an exercise program on the rate of childhood obesity.

- The effect of aging on cell regeneration.

References

1. Planning the methodology. Recovered from bcps.org
2. Assesing the methodology of the study. Recovered from gwu.edu
3. The methodological design (2014). Recovered from slideshare.net
4. Research desing. Recovered from wikipedia.org
5. Research design. Recovered from research-methodology.net
6. The methodology. Recovered from libguides.usc.edu
7. What is design methodology? Recovered from learn.org