ABSTRACT
The definition of research design is deceptively simple: it is a plan that provides the underlying structure to integrate all elements of a quantitative study so that the results are credible, free from bias, and maximally generalizable. “Research design provides the glue that holds the research project together” (Trochim, 2006, Design, ¶ 1). The research design determines how the participants are selected, how variables are manipulated, data are collected and analyzed, and how extraneous variability is controlled so that the overall research problem can be addressed. Regardless of the sophistication of the statistical analysis, the researcher’s conclusions might be worthless if an inappropriate research design has been used. Thus, design decisions both constrain and support the ultimate conclusions (Miles & Huberman, 1994).
