Background
Academic research is represented by a spectrum of different methodological designs and tools, each of which aims to solve specific problems and has its own means of achieving them. Three types of research designs should be distinguished: fixed, flexible, and mixed. Each of the three research designs differs in its goals, algorithms, and ability to change; however, they have similarities. In particular, each type predetermines the initial research framework and serves as a vector for project execution. At the same time, designs with some limitations can be used for the same research approaches, whether qualitative, quantitative, or mixed paradigms.
Research Designs
Fixed Design
A fixed design refers to any type of design that remains the same throughout the study. In such a case, the procedures, steps, and tools are predetermined and are not subject to modification at any stage of implementation (Al-Ababneh, 2020; Neupane, 2019). Such a design is highly structured and rigorous, so the most significant responsibility lies in the planning phase.
The appropriateness of a fixed research design is especially significant when the project has a clear focus and predetermined variables that cannot be changed later. For this reason, the researcher must identify a list of both dependent and independent variables and controls that are not subject to revision. For example, a fixed design might help determine the effects of a particular bioactive substance (for instance, glycine) on the body during exercise.
Flexible Design
A flexible design is the opposite of a fixed one, which has a high affinity for modification. In more detail, the flexible exploratory design supports changes in procedures, variables, or other project attributes at any stage, if needed. This design is appropriate when variables or procedure steps are challenging to predetermine before the study is performed or when execution conditions are subject to change (Al-Ababneh, 2020; Neupane, 2019). An example would be a nursing interview in which the interview questions vary depending on the course of the dialogue. The initially conceived content analysis of the data is changed to a thematic analysis due to its more usable nature.
Mixed Design
The mixed design combines the benefits of both fixed and flexible approaches to research design. This choice allows the researcher to resort to triangulation between datasets and conduct parallel analyses if appropriate. In more detail, in a mixed-method design, some of the attributes of the study appear fixed, while some freedom of modification is assumed for others (Al-Ababneh, 2020; Neupane, 2019). An example would be collecting data from multiple surveys to determine nurses’ satisfaction with their workload using a parallel comparison of data between surveys.
Research Methods
Because the designs described above have been shown to differ in their conceptual core, different types of research methods are most applicable to them. In particular, quantitative experiment or quasi-experiment methods are most appropriate for fixed design, in which the manipulation of some variables allows observation of changes in the dependent variables. In addition, the choice of non-experimental methodology, in which descriptive statistics are studied but variables are not manipulated, is also appropriate. Typically, studies based on such a design involve hypothesis testing and statistical experiments whose procedures are predetermined and do not change during performance, including parametric and nonparametric tests (Kratochwill et al., 2023).
On the other hand, agile design can usually be implemented through qualitative methods, such as interviews, face-to-face interviews, ethnographies, and observations. In this case, the procedures and data processing are ready to change during the study because it involves greater subjectivity and sensitivity to the data. Because mixed-methods design integrates the two previously discussed methods, it incorporates the range of already described methods (Neupane, 2019). The researcher can decide which methodological attributes should be fixed and which may be subject to change during implementation. In this case, specific research methods can be convergently parallel, including both quantitative and qualitative paradigms.
References
Al-Ababneh, M. M. (2020). Linking ontology, epistemology, and research methodology. Science & Philosophy, 8(1), 75-91.
Kratochwill, T. R., Horner, R. H., Levin, J. R., Machalicek, W., Ferron, J., & Johnson, A. (2023). Single-case intervention research design standards: Additional proposed upgrades and future directions. Journal of School Psychology, 97, 192-216. Web.
Neupane, N. (2019). Paradigm shift in research: Emergence of mixed methods research design. Journal of NELTA Gandaki, 1, 74-86. Web.
Williams, G. (2019). Applied qualitative research design. Scientific e-Resources.