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Methodnex

Research Design & Methodology

A study design you can justify line by line, before you collect any data.

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Questions we help answer

Most problems that surface at analysis or peer review begin in the design. We work with you on the question, the framework, the sample and the measures, and we write the reasoning down so it can go straight into your proposal or protocol.

  • Is my research question specific enough to be answered with the data I can get?
  • Should this be a quantitative, qualitative or mixed-methods study?
  • How many participants do I need, and how do I justify the number?
  • Which instrument should I use, and does it need validating in my setting?

Scope of service

What you receive

  • Refined research questions, hypotheses and conceptual framework
  • A justified design: observational, experimental, qualitative or mixed
  • Sampling strategy with a sample-size or power calculation
  • Instrument selection and a validation plan
  • Support for ethics (IRB or REC) submissions and preregistration
  • Methods advice for systematic reviews and meta-analyses

What is not included

  • We do not write the proposal or protocol in your name.
  • We do not obtain ethics approval for you. The application and the responsibility remain yours.
  • We do not design a study around a result someone wants to reach.

Methods and tools, and when we use them

  • Power analysis

    When the study tests hypotheses and the sample has to be justified in advance.

  • Qualitative sampling logic

    When depth matters more than representativeness, with a stated reason for stopping.

  • Mixed-methods designs

    When numbers alone, or interviews alone, cannot answer the question.

  • Preregistration and protocol templates

    When the field or journal expects a public plan before data collection.

How the work runs

  1. 1

    Intake

    You describe the project through the request form or a call. No data are needed at this stage.

  2. 2

    Methodological scoping

    We review the design and agree the deliverables, exclusions, timeline and fee in writing.

  3. 3

    Execution

    The assigned consultant does the work and records methods, assumptions and changes.

  4. 4

    Quality assurance

    A second specialist reviews the methods and outputs before release.

  5. 5

    Handover

    You receive the deliverables, the code and a walkthrough session, with the agreed revision rounds.

Who this is for

  • Master's and doctoral candidates preparing a proposal
  • Principal investigators planning a funded study
  • Clinical teams drafting a protocol
  • Organisations commissioning a study

Questions about this service

At what stage should I contact you?

As early as you can. One conversation before data collection is worth more than weeks of repair afterwards. We also review designs that are already under way.

Will you tell me which method to use?

We recommend a design and explain the reasoning and the trade-offs. The decision is yours, and you should be able to defend it.

Can you help with my ethics application?

Yes. We advise on the methods sections, data handling and consent materials. You submit the application and remain the responsible researcher.

How is this service priced?

By scope. After a first conversation we send a written scope and a quotation.

Other services

Request a scoped quotation

Describe the project in a few minutes. Complex research is quoted after scoping, never from a price list.

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