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Are you struggling with your research design? In general or as with a qualitative methodology? Maxwell’s Qualitative Research Design book will help you to conceptualize your thoughts in Research Design Maps and Research Validity Matrices.

We recommend that book as a fast and easy way to build up the empirical part of your research. Especially, if you are a beginner, and you do not know where or how to start. No matter, if finally you will implement a quantitative data analysis, this book helps you to conceptualize your thoughts in research design maps and validity matrices.

Review: ‘This book gives researchers and students a user-friendly, step-by-step guide to planning qualitative research. Based on a course that the author taught for 7 years at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, it is written in an informal, jargon-free style and incorporates many examples and hands-on exercises. Rather than the rigid, linear approach to design that is usually found in research methods textbooks–and which is particularly ill suited for qualitative research–this book presents a flexible, systemic model of design. This model not only better fits what experienced qualitative researchers actually do, but provides a clear framework for designing a study and developing a research proposal. This edition includes new or substantially expanded discussions of research paradigms, defining a research problem, site and participant selection, relationships with research participants, data analysis, and validity, as well as more examples and exercises.’ (Sage Publishing. 2013. https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/qualitative-research-design/book234502. Retrieved: 19/04/2018)

The research design map displays the main parts of a design (Maxwell, 2013). Broderick’s design map (Maxwell, 2013, p. 9) has five main elements: research questions and goals, conceptual framework, methods and validity. 

 

The research validity matrix displays methods to ensure validity and treat its threats (Maxwell, 2013). ‘A Matrix for a Study of Patients’ and Clinicians’ Perceptions of Healing’ (Maxwell, 2013, p. 14) contains: Research questions; Why do I need to know this?; What kind of data will answer the questions?; Analysis methods; Potential conclusions; Alternative explanations/ Validity threats; Methods to investigate validity threats.

Check out the book for detailed information, so that you can build up your own research design accurately. Here you can find it in the Corvinus Library:
http://hunteka.uni-corvinus.hu/record/-/record/display/manifestation/BCEKK701573/f293d4aa-8493-41df-9a95-00b88b1befe8/solr/0/24/0/1/titleOrder/ASC

Featured image: https://ds.lclark.edu/reid/2017/02/23/tangled-blueprints/ Retrieved: 19/04/2018

Photo: http://www.trevorowens.org/2014/08/where-to-start-on-research-questions-in-the-digital-humanities/ Retrieved: 19/04/2018

Editor A. S., 2018