Both the design and methodology of a research are based on the research question. A research questions help authors to focus their research on a specific topic. The specificity of a well-developed research question enables the authors to avoid the “all-about” paper and work toward supporting a specific, arguable thesis. After the research question is drafted, one has to invent and test a descriptive way to answer the question. The research design should be prepared such that it provides an appropriate framework for a study. The research methodology, on the other hand, must describe all the key research objectives using the qualitative and quantitative methods and primary and secondary sources. Accordingly studies with similar research questions should be looked into to devise a research design and methodology. As you get more comfortable with the methodologies in your field, you may even invent new methods and research designs, but don’t expect to do that when you are a novice researcher.
