A Criteria-Based Model for Selecting Design in Information Systems Research

Abstract

Despite its essentiality, selecting the most appropriate research design is consistently challenging for many emerging researchers including postgraduate students, attributable to the lack of a formal approach. The process becomes more cumbersome and challenging when selecting more than one research design in a study. Consequently, many aspiring researchers sometimes select designs that do not align with the objectives of their studies. This study aims to propose a model that guides selecting the most appropriate research design for a study. The qualitative approach was employed, and it involved interviews with emerging researchers and postgraduates at a large public university of about thirty-five thousand students in South Africa. The findings reveal a three-step approach, based on which the criteria-based model (CBM) was developed. The study highlights the attributes of the CBM, which can be used to advance research methodology. The proposed CBM has significant implications for improving the selection of appropriate research design for a study. The implications include knowledgeability and alignment, from both theoretical and practical perspectives.