When looking at your research strategy, first narrow your interest to a key topic or two and dissect a few key studies on your topic of interest. Identify the questions in those few studies and whether they conclude with new questions for future research. In the last phase, examine another group of scientific studies on the same topic. They might provide support for your potential questions or even suggest means of sharpening them.

State your proposition so that you can focus on what needs to be examined within the scope of study. For example, you may think that delegating bank regulation to the market forces is worthwhile. This proposition is your guide to where you can search for related proof to define and determine the extent of advantages to banks.

Research Design

A research design describes the way an investigator puts a research study together to solve a question or a list of questions. It works as an organized plan detailing the study, the researchers’ method of gathering data, information on how the study will get to its conclusions and the limitations of the research. A research design is not restricted to a specific type of research and may include both quantitative and qualitative analysis.

The primary aim of research design is to help avoid the situation in which the evidence does not address the primary research questions. A research design is concerned with a logical problem and not a logistical problem.

Research Methodology

Use different criteria for solving or searching the given research problem. Different sources use different type of methods for solving the problem. Research methodology used may be qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. Should your chosen research strategy include many components, your report focus most on those components that are particularly important to your study.

Approach Within a Research Methodology

Emphasise an approach within a broader research methodology. Some research methodologies are not straightforward, but can be approached from a number of different angles for example, in case study research you can have instrumental, exploratory and comparative approaches.

Research methods

Highlight particular research methods that are used whether it be a strategic collaboration, an exploratory case study, a comparative case analysis, a large scale survey, results from a focus group study or an analysis of interviews with project managers or other methods.

Use of longitudinal data

Emphasise that the data you have used extends over a number of years (use of longitudinal data) or the study was conducted over a long time period. Usually only the former is likely to apply to report research, since this is usually only a few months long.

Sampling strategy

Highlight some aspect of your sampling strategy. This can be a country, group of countries or region, an industry, a type of organisation, a group or committee, people etc.

Data analysis techniques

Emphasise a particular data analysis technique used. Do you use thematic analysis, textual analysis of interview data, content analysis of speeches, time series analysis, regression analysis etc.