Research Design
Research design refers to the overall plan or framework that guides how a study is conducted. It specifies how data will be collected, analysed, and interpreted in order to answer research questions in a logical and valid way.
On this page:
- What is Research Design?
- Research Design vs Research Approach vs Methods
- Types of Research Design
- When to Use Different Research Designs
| Aspect | Exploratory Research | Conclusive Research |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Generate insights | Test and verify findings |
| Data needs | Vague | Clearly defined |
| Structure | Flexible | Structured |
| Methods | Qualitative | Quantitative (often) |
| Findings | Tentative | Final and actionable |
Conclusive vs exploratory research design
What is Research Design?
Same as research approach, different textbooks place different meanings on research design. Some authors consider research design as the choice between qualitative and quantitative research methods. Others argue that research design refers to the choice of specific methods of data collection and analysis. Research design is also placed as a master plan for conducting a research project and this appears to be the most authentic explanation of the term.
In your dissertation you can define research design as a general plan about what you will do to answer the research question.[1] It is a framework for choosing specific methods of data collection and data analysis. Design of a study outlines how you will address your research question, collect data, analyze that data, and ultimately answer your question in a meaningful and valid way.
Research Design vs Research Approach vs Methods
Research design should not be confused with research approach or research methods, although these concepts are closely related. Research approach refers to the logic of the study (deductive, inductive, or abductive), whereas research methods refer to the specific techniques used for data collection and analysis. Research design, on the other hand, acts as an overarching framework that links research philosophy, research approach, sampling strategy, and data collection methods into a coherent plan.
Types of Research Design
Research design can be divided into two groups: exploratory and conclusive. Exploratory research, according to its name merely aims to explore specific aspects of the research area. Exploratory research does not aim to provide final and conclusive answers to research questions. The researcher may even change the direction of the study to a certain extent, however not fundamentally, according to new evidence gained during the research process.
Conclusive research, on the contrary, generates findings that can be practically useful for decision-making. The following table illustrates the main differences between exploratory and conclusive research in relation to important components of a dissertation.
| Research project components | Exploratory research | Conclusive research |
| Research purpose | General: to generate insights about a situation | Specific: to verify insights and aid in selecting a course of action |
| Data needs | Vague | Clear |
| Data sources | Ill defined | Well defined |
| Data collection form | Open-ended, rough | Usually structured |
| Sample | Relatively small; subjectively selected to maximize generalization of insights | Relatively large; objectively selected to permit generalization of findings |
| Data collection | Flexible; no set procedure | Rigid; well-laid-out procedure |
| Data analysis | Informal; typically non-quantitative | Formal; typically quantitative |
| Inferences/
Recommendations |
More tentative than final | More final than tentative |
Major differences between exploratory and conclusive research design[2]
Exploratory design is used to understand a problem, whereas conclusive design is used to solve or test it.
The following can be mentioned as examples with exploratory design:
- A critical analysis of argument of mandatory CSR for UK private sector organisations
- A study into contradictions between CSR program and initiatives and business practices: a case study of Philip Morris USA
- An investigation into the ways of customer relationship management in mobile marketing environment
Studies listed above do not aim to generate final and conclusive evidences to research questions. These studies merely aim to explore their respective research areas.
Conclusive research can be divided into two categories: descriptive and causal. Descriptive research design, as the name suggests, describes specific elements, causes, or phenomena in the research area.
| Research title | Focus of description |
| Born or bred: revising The Great Man theory of leadership in the AI era
|
The Great Man theory |
| Creativity as the main trait for modern leaders: a critical analysis | Creativity |
| Critical analysis into the role of CSR as an effective marketing tool
|
CSR |
| Critical analysis of the use of social media as a marketing strategy: a case study of Burger King UK | Social media |
Examples for descriptive research design
Causal research design, on the other hand, is conducted to study cause-and-effect relationships. The table below illustrates some examples for studies with causal research design.
| Research title | Cause | Effect |
| The role of remote work adoption in shaping employee productivity in the post-pandemic era | Remote work adoption | Employee productivity |
| Impacts of CSR programs and initiatives on brand image: a case study of Coca-Cola Company UK. | CSR programs and initiatives | Coca Cola brand image |
| A critical analysis into the emergence of global culture and its implications in local companies in the USA | Global culture | US companies |
| Effects of organisational culture on achieving its aims and objectives: a case study of Virgin Atlantic | Organizational culture | Virgin Atlantic performance |
Examples for studies with causal design
When to Use Different Research Designs
The choice of research design depends on your research aim, stage of research, and the level of certainty required.
You should:
- Use exploratory research design when the research problem is new, unclear, or insufficiently studied
- Use conclusive research design when you need to test hypotheses or support decision-making
- Use descriptive design when your goal is to describe characteristics or phenomena
- Use causal design when you aim to identify cause-and-effect relationships
Examples in Business Studies
- Exploring customer perceptions of a new product → Exploratory design
- Measuring impact of pricing on sales → Causal design
- Analysing employee satisfaction → Descriptive design
In practice, many business studies combine elements of exploratory and conclusive research designs. For example, a researcher may begin with exploratory interviews to understand a phenomenon and later conduct a large-scale survey to test emerging insights. Such sequential designs allow researchers to benefit from the flexibility of exploratory research while also generating robust and generalizable findings.
My e-book, How to Write a Dissertation: A Step-by-Step System to Plan, Write and Defend Your Dissertation in the age of AI contains discussions of theory and application of research philosophy. The e-book also explains all stages of the research process starting from the selection of the research area to writing personal reflection. Important elements of dissertations such as research philosophy, research approach, research design, methods of data collection and data analysis are explained in this e-book in simple words.
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Preparing to Defend Your Methodology?
Understanding research design is one thing. Defending it under examination is another.
If you would like structured guidance on how to justify your methodological choices, respond to challenging viva questions, address limitations confidently, and navigate academic integrity in the AI era, you may find the following resource helpful:
The manual provides a structured system for aligning your research design, strengthening your justifications, and preparing for defense scenarios with clarity and confidence.
Download the manual and prepare to defend your methodology with confidence
John Dudovskiy
[1] Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2012) “Research Methods for Business Students” 6th edition, Pearson Education Limited
[2] Source: Pride and Ferrell (2007)