Choosing a Research Design
Match design to question and constraints.
The Open buttons send the prompt text as currently shown below to that site only when you click. Fill in the placeholders first.
[VERIFY] is an editorial flag, not a blank to fill. Wherever the prompt shows [VERIFY], check that item against a reliable source before you use it.
Help me choose a research design. My research question: [RESEARCH_QUESTION]. Resources, access and timeline: [RESOURCES]. Ethical issues I foresee: [ETHICAL_ISSUES]. What counts as evidence in my field: [FIELD_NORMS]. Compare three or four feasible designs (for example survey, interviews, case study, experiment, secondary data analysis, mixed methods) in a table on fit with the question, strength of evidence, feasibility, ethical considerations, risks, and typical limitations. Ask clarifying questions where needed. Recommend a design with reasons and list the decisions it leads to (sampling, instruments, analysis). Remind me that my supervisor and ethics committee decide what is acceptable, and mark institution-specific requirements as items to confirm [VERIFY]. Also add a worked comparison for an invented question about student wellbeing and study habits, labelled as an illustration, showing how the answer changes with constraints, and a list of the questions to ask my supervisor before committing. Add a short list of red flags in a design, such as a question that the data cannot answer, and a plan to pilot the design on a small scale before committing.
Fill in before use
Optional: type your details and the prompt above updates. Nothing is saved or sent.
Replace each bracketed placeholder with your own details, then paste into Any AI or another assistant.