Research Methodology Design

The Prompt

Design a research methodology to answer: [RESEARCH QUESTION]

Context:
- Field: [DISCIPLINE]
- Constraints: [TIME, BUDGET, ACCESS, ETHICS]
- Desired output: [PAPER, PRODUCT INSIGHT, POLICY REC]

Provide:

**Approach Selection:**
- Quantitative, qualitative, or mixed? (justify)
- Paradigm: positivist, interpretivist, pragmatist? (briefly)

**Method:**
- Specific method (survey, experiment, ethnography, content analysis, etc.)
- Why this method fits this question better than alternatives

**Sampling:**
- Population definition
- Sampling strategy (random, purposive, snowball, etc.)
- Sample size justification (power analysis or saturation logic)
- Recruitment approach

**Data Collection:**
- Instruments (interview guide, survey, observation protocol)
- Pilot testing plan
- Timeline and sequence

**Analysis:**
- Analytical framework
- Specific techniques (thematic analysis, regression, grounded theory, etc.)
- Software/tools

**Validity & Reliability:**
- Internal validity threats and mitigations
- External validity (generalizability) boundaries
- Reliability measures (inter-rater, test-retest)

**Ethics:**
- Informed consent approach
- Data privacy
- Potential harms and mitigations
- IRB considerations

**Limitations:**
- Acknowledged limitations of this design
- What this study CANNOT conclude

How To Use It

State your research question clearly and provide any constraints (budget, time, access to participants). The AI will design a methodology that’s rigorous but feasible within your constraints.

Why It Works

Methodology design requires balancing rigor (what would be ideal) with feasibility (what’s possible). This prompt explicitly surfaces that tension and ensures researchers think about validity threats before collecting data rather than after.

Variations

Quick and dirty research:

I have [2 weeks] and [no budget] to answer [QUESTION]. Design the most rigorous study possible within these constraints. What shortcuts are acceptable vs unacceptable?

Mixed methods design:

Design a mixed-methods study where qualitative and quantitative components inform each other. Specify: sequence (concurrent or sequential), integration points, and what each method contributes uniquely.

Replication study:

Design a replication of [STUDY]. Identify: what to replicate exactly, what to improve, what contextual differences matter, and how to pre-register to ensure credibility.