A Free Online Course On Different Scientific Research Methodologies - With Certificate. Empower Yourself And Your Career With Thousands Of Free, Accredited Courses. A research design is the plan or framework used to conduct a research study . It involves outlining the overall approach and methods that will be used to collect and analyze data in order to answer research questions or test hypotheses. Research Design is a strategy for answering research questions. It determines how to collect and analyze data. Read more with QuestionPro. Learn what research design is, why it is important, and how to choose the right type for your study. Explore the key components of research design and see examples of quantitative and qualitative research designs.