Saunders Research Onion

A Comprehensive Guide to Saunders’ (2019) Research Onion: Understanding and Applying the Model

Undertaking academic research feels like solving a difficult puzzle, and at its core lies the crucial role of research methodology. Being more than just a set of rules, a strong methodology signifies the backbone of any credible research. It ensures its validity, reliability and relevance of findings. Without a precise methodological framework, analysis risks becoming directionless, its conclusions remain unsupported, and its influence is reduced. However, for several students, understanding the variations of research patterns, from philosophical views to data examination methods, offers a considerable hurdle. 

The sheer volume of preferences and the interlinking of judgments can be daunting, leading to confusion and sometimes methodological errors. This is where Saunders' (2019) Research Onion serves as a valuable guide. This intuitive, multi-layered framework serves as a strong conceptual tool, methodically peeling back the coatings of research format to demonstrate the interlinking decisions analysts must make. Its main goal is to streamline the research procedure, providing a clear pathway from basic ideas to strong research strategies. 

This blog aims to break down the Research Onion, peeling each layer into digestible elements. Moreover, it provides practical tools such as interactive diagrams and tailored templates to help students confidently use the model and make well-explained and persuasive research designs.

Overview of the Research Onion Model

The Research Onion, as conceptualised by Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill in 2019, is a very influential and broadly recognised framework that provides a systematic model for designing and performing research. At its heart, the model is marked by its distinctive layered design, much like an onion, where each concentric coating shows an important decision point in the research procedure. It thoroughly guides analysts from the broadest, most basic philosophical views down to the fine details of particular data collection methods. The Research Onion mainly consists of 6 distinct layers that move inwards from the abstract to the concrete. These 6 layers are called:

• Philosophies
• Approaches
• Strategies
• Choices
• Time Horizons
• Techniques and Procedures

The strength of the Research Onion lies in its ability to highlight the coordination of these judgments. By methodically guiding each layer, analysts are encouraged to think about the implications of their preferences at one level on the following ones. This step-by-step strategy provides a compelling and strong research structure. This promotes methodological stringency and eventually improves the quality and credibility of the research results. Let’s understand all these 6 layers in detail.

Layer 1 – Research Philosophies

Research philosophies are primary belief systems that navigate how research is performed, impacting everything from the formulation of research queries to the interpretation of results. They work as a lens through which analysts view the world and, hence, their research issue.

Some common types of research philosophies include: 

• Positivism: These philosophies deeply shape the research procedure. For example, a positivist approach, usually found in natural sciences, highlights objectivity, quantifiable data and generalisable laws. It carries a single, visual reality and seeks to describe and predict phenomena. This leads to structured processes such as experiments and surveys.
• Interpretivism: This concentrates on learning the subjective meanings and expertise of people. It acknowledges various realities and strives for profound knowledge rather than broad generalisation, usually employing qualitative techniques such as interviews and ethnography.
• Pragmatism: It is a more adaptable philosophy, prioritising the research query and the most effective techniques to answer it. It usually blends elements of both positivism and interpretivism, seeking useful solutions and data. 
• Realism: It sets an autonomous reality that can be understood, but believes that our knowledge is socially created and fallible. It usually bridges the gap between positivism and interpretivism, searching for underlying designs and mechanisms that affect observed phenomena. 

Selecting the appropriate philosophy depends on the nature of your research question, your ontological (what is reality?) and epistemological (how do we know reality?) assumptions, and the type of understanding you aim to produce. For illustration, if you are analysing social constructs or personal experiences, interpretivism might be appropriate. If you are testing a hypothesis about cause and effect, positivism can be more suitable. 

Layer 2 – Research Approaches

Research techniques are strategic blueprints that guide how research is designed and performed, basically shaping data collection and analysis. They are essential because they dictate the complete educational journey of your analysis. 

There are mainly two types of research approaches:

• Deductive Approach: The deductive approach begins with a theory or hypothesis and reviews it with particular observations. Consider it as moving from the general to the specific, such as a funnel. You start with a broad idea, narrow it into a testable theory, gather data to confirm or deny it and then draw conclusions. This strategy is usually quantitative, aiming to verify previous theories or prove cause-and-effect. 
• Inductive Approach: On the other hand, this approach starts with particular observations or data and works towards developing broader theories or generalisations. It’s like building blocks, you collect detailed information, recognise patterns, and then formulate a new theory. This strategy is usually qualitative, useful when studying a new phenomenon, producing theories or making rich descriptions. 

Selecting the exact approach depends on your research goals and underlying philosophy. If you are checking a pre-existing theory or confirming a relationship, deductive reasoning is usually perfect. For example, experimenting with whether a new learning approach improves grades. If you are studying difficult phenomena or producing new theoretical insights, inductive reasoning is usually more appropriate, such as learning consumer experiences with a novel product.

Layer 3 – Research Strategies

Research approaches are thorough plans that support researchers in effectively responding to their research queries. They are the overarching structures that dictate the methods and practices used to collect and analyse data, providing a structured and systematic approach to research. By offering a blueprint, research approaches help keep concentration, improve the validity and credibility of results, and eventually contribute to the successful accomplishment of research objectives. 

Some ordinary research strategies involve:

• Experiment: Manipulating one or more variables to check their effect on an output variable, generally in a controlled environment. 

• Survey: Gathering data from a sample of people through interviews or questionnaires to define traits of a population or to determine relations between variables. 

• Case Study: A deeper investigation of a single person, group, event or community to identify complex phenomena within its practical context. 

• Ethnography: An effective study of a culture or social community to learn their customs, beliefs and behaviours from their perspective. 

• Action Research: A cyclical procedure of planning, acting, monitoring and reflecting, undertaken by practitioners to enhance their own practices or solve issues within their specific context. 

• Grounded Theory: Developing a theory from the data itself, via systematic collection and research, instead of starting with a previous theory. 

Selecting the right strategy incorporates aligning it with your study’s objectives, strategy and philosophical stance. For example, if your objective is to make cause-and-effect relations, a trial strategy may be more appropriate. If you strive to learn from lived experiences, a qualitative strategy such as ethnography or case study, provided by an interpretivist perspective, would be more suitable. A positivist philosophy usually underlines quantitative approaches, seeking conceptual truths. 

Layer 4 – Research Choices

Research choices are the primary decisions about the type of data analysts will collect and analyse, mainly integrating qualitative, quantitative or mixed techniques. This choice is important as it forms the complete research design, from queries posed to data collection and research. Its importance lies in aligning your research objectives with the selected methodology, directly influencing the credibility and depth of your results. 

Types of Research options:

• Qualitative Research: Identifies meanings and experiences using non-numerical data to answer "why" and "how."
• Quantitative Research: Measures variables and tests hypotheses with numerical data and statistics, managing "what" and "how many."
• Mixed Methods: Incorporates both qualitative and quantitative strategies for a broad understanding.
• Making the right decision: Your research queries are important. For analysing intricate experiences, prefer qualitative. For measuring variables or generalising results, choose quantitative. Mixed methods are perfect when a single strategy is inadequate, providing richer data and triangulation. Think about the data required to answer your queries and the desired intensity of knowledge.

Layer 5 – Time Horizons

Research time horizons represent the timeframe over which data is gathered, mainly influencing research patterns and scope. They dictate whether statements are made at a single point or over an extended period. This directly impacts the types of queries that can be responded to and the depth of insight achieved. Selecting the right time horizon is important for securing research goals and guaranteeing the validity of results.

Types of Time Horizons:

• Cross-sectional: Data is gathered at a single point in time, giving a picture of a phenomenon. This is effective for explaining traits or exploring relations at a particular moment. For instance, a survey measuring public sentiment on a recent event. 
• Longitudinal: Data is gathered at various points over a comprehensive period, allowing researchers to analyse changes, trends or developments. This is important for learning casualty, developmental procedures, or the influence of interventions. For example, affiliate studies or panel research tracking people over the years.

Selection of the Right Time Horizon:

The selection of the time horizon mainly depends on your research query and scope. If your query aims to convey a phenomenon at a particular moment or study correlations without implying causality, a cross-sectional design is suitable. However, if your analysis seeks to learn over time, verify cause-and-effect relations or track growth. A longitudinal design is important in such a case, despite being more resource-intensive and time-consuming. The ease of data collection and available resources also play an important role.

Layer 6 – Techniques and Procedures

Techniques and procedures are the specific tools and steps used to gather and analyze data. They are the useful “how-to” of your study, summarising your broader strategy into strong actions. These preferences directly impact the quality and richness of your data, and thus, the insights you can draw. 

The two major techniques are:

Data collection: 

• Interviews: Direct interaction for deeper insights into individual outlooks. 
• Questionnaires/Surveys: Standardised queries for quantitative data or large qualitative input from a broader sample. 
• Observations: Systematically observing and recording actions or phenomena. 
• Document Analysis: Studying previous texts or records. 

Data analysis: 

• Statistical Analysis: Using mathematical methods to analyse quantitative data to examine patterns and relations. 
• Thematic Coding: Studying and reporting repetitive patterns within qualitative data. 
• Content Analysis: Systematically arranging and quantifying content.

How to choose techniques and procedures:

Choosing the appropriate techniques means aligning them with your research approach and specific research questions. For instance, if you strive for profound understanding in a qualitative analysis, interviews and thematic coding are natural fits. If you’re experimenting with hypotheses with a broad group, interviews and statistical research would be your go-to. Mixed techniques usually merge these for a more comprehensive outlook. Always think about the type of data your queries demand and your available resources.

Case Study:

Imagine research on 'The Impact of Remote Working on Employees' Well-Being in Tech Start-Ups. 

Strategy and approach: Case Study, Mixed Methods

Techniques & Procedures:

• Qualitative data: Semi-structured surveys explore individual experiences. 
• Quantitative data: Online questionnaires estimate stress and productivity levels.
• Analysis: Statistical research for questionnaire data; thematic coding for interview transcripts.

This blend allows for both comprehensive measurement and rich, nuanced knowledge.

Integrating the Layers of the Research Onion

The Research Onion isn't a series of isolated stages; it's a deeply interlinked model. Each layer, from your basic research philosophy to your selected data collection techniques, builds upon and affects the ones preceding it. Avoiding this holistic nature can lead to incoherent research patterns and unreliable outcomes. For example, a positivist philosophy striving for conceptual laws wouldn’t align with an interpretivist interview approach made for rich, subjective understanding; the Onion ensures methodological agreement. 

Here’s how to apply this model:

1. Philosophy: Begin by thinking about your beliefs regarding reality and knowledge. 
2. Approach: Decide if you will test theories or build them.
3. Strategy: Select your overall plan.
4. Choices: Choose your method type.
5. Time Horizon: Check if your study is a snapshot or over time. 
6. Techniques & Procedures: Lastly, select particular data collection and interpretation methods.

Common Mistakes and Success Tips for Students

A common challenge is a lack of alignment. Students usually choose research queries that do not logically flow from their assumed philosophy or select techniques that oppose their selected strategy. For example, questioning "What are the special experiences of X?" but then conducting a large-scale survey makes it difficult. Another mistake is overcomplicating the study pattern; simplicity and clarity often produce the best results. This is mainly for early-career researchers. Don’t try to force too many layers or methods into a single project. 

Success tips for you:

• Begin broad, then narrow: Start by clearly expressing your basic philosophical stance. This general knowledge will naturally navigate your preferences for the following layers. 
• Use as a checklist: Use the Research Onion layers as an extensive checklist. Before finalising your proposal, systematically check each layer to ensure internal consistency and readability across your overall design. This ensures that our research queries, objectives, philosophy, approach, strategy, and techniques all work in balance. This leads to a strong and secure study. 

Conclusion

To sum up, the Research Onion offers a systematic process for structuring your research, breaking it down into manageable layers. Each layer—philosophy, approach, strategy, choices, time horizon, and techniques is important for navigating researchers towards well-organised and practical studies. Learning and using each of these layers will support you in building a strong structure for your research. 

We suggest that you apply the Research Onion as a guide to structure your projects. It facilitates the research procedure and guarantees that no important element is ignored. If you are stressed or need professional support, do not hesitate to reach out to Native Assignment Help. With our top-notch guidance, you get tailored support in using the Research Onion model. Along with this, you can enjoy multiple benefits and deals on our assignment help services. So, wait no longer, get premium research support from our well-versed researchers at a flat discount of 45% off!