The Design of the Study

Quantitative research needs numerical data; and qualitative research most often, and some-

times exclusively, relies on text-or words-for data. Each of these basic types has specific

submethods that are selected for use based upon the different types of information collected

and on the sources from which they are gathered. The type of data that will be collected de-

termines the way the researcher designs the study. The design, or research paradigm, is the

structure or framework for carrying out the work. It is the pattern the researcher uses to com-

plete the project.