ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces research designs, which help us select what and how much we observe. We describe various designs such as cross-sectional, time-series, longitudinal, meta-analysis, case studies, and more qualitative designs such as focus groups and field observations. We discuss the strengths of each of these designs and how and when to select and interpret each of them. Cross-sectional and time-series designs are among the most effective and efficient, and the chapter elaborates on these. The chapter also highlights the fundamental differences between quantitative and qualitative research, noting that qualitative information helps us understand how something happened and the background for it, whereas quantitative methods focus on uncovering causal relationships with quantitative information. The chapter also assists students in learning about how to select designs based on the research question, availability of data, and the problems administrators need to solve.
