ABSTRACT
Social research depends upon some basic principles and foundations which have developed and evolved over a long period of time. These background assumptions have come together to create different models of social and educational research. These models of research design act as plans and blueprints for the researcher to follow. They supply sets of concepts and ideas, and preferred tools and techniques for the conduct of research. As such, these models of research design will exercise a considerable influence over the whole of a study or project. There has been an enormous amount of controversy over the most appropriate models for researching the social world and, subsequently, the best techniques to employ.
