New organization of research designs

Abstract

Identifying a research design is one of the most common problems when planning a scientific project. In this methodological proposal, we start from the most cited manuals in research methodology to extract, complete and reorganize research designs. The books by Bryman (2016), Cohen et al. (2017) and Hernández Sampieri et al. (2014) are the most cited in the last eight years and occupy the first positions of relevance in Google Scholar. Based on them and on the recommendations of the latest edition of the APA Manual, a synthesis of research designs grouped into 12 units is proposed starting with the most flexible (qualitative) and moving towards the less flexible (quantitative), and then addressing the particularities of mixed designs. In addition, some findings are discussed in relation to the epistemic nature of designs that were not previously classified by methodologists. This proposal aims to provide researchers with a clear and structured guide to identify more specific strategies in the development of their research. By understanding the characteristics and scope of each design, researchers will be able to select the most appropriate approach.