Publication record
- Original publication period
- July–December 2025
- Digitized / uploaded online
- August 10, 2026
The digitization/upload date records when this file was added to the website; it is not the article's original publication date.
Abstract
Research methods courses often present qualitative and quantitative inquiry as competing traditions or lists of procedures to memorize. This conceptual article proposes design alignment as a more productive organizing principle. It connects five decisions—the problem, research questions, evidence, analytic procedures, and warranted claims—and offers a classroom sequence, practical alignment audit, and assessments for proposal development and formative feedback.