2.5 Research designs
The objective of research design is to inform details of how a research is being conducted. It talks about “how” every activity in the research was carried out (procedures) including but not limited to the source of data and how it will be collected, how research questions will be formulated, how they be answered and theories where applicable. A design would have explicitly provided information about the study type, described the study population and sample size with justification, the unit of analysis and measuring technique. Several research designs have been adopted in practice to help evaluate IS interventions, in particular digital health interventions. Research designs in the medical field are influenced by a hierarchy of evidence from existing literature. This evidence must be based on exhaustive search and collation of literature in a systematic manner. Similarly, in IS, the achievement of validity and reliability are fundamental when using quantitative research and questionnaire instrument for that matter. When using qualitative research method, validity and reliability are achieved through triangulation, the use of multiple data source with a succinct explanation of strategies used in collecting data including meticulous design of interview guide. Of the four triangulation types, namely method, investigator, theory, and data source type, the data sourced type is used by most qualitative research on human phenomena in many cases to test validity (Carter, Bryant-Lukosius, DiCenso, Blythe, & Neville, 2014). However, the challenge with multiple data types is scope and the level of consistency or fidelity regarding the instruments used in gathering the data. IS research has enjoyed designs from both medical and management.