The research process and key elements are:
1. Starting the research
· developing a research question
· Reviewing the literature
· Defining variables (quantitative research only) and developing operational definitions
2. Designing the research
· Choosing the most appropriate research method
· Choosing the sample
· Dealing with ethics
· Planning the research
3. Collecting the data
· Design a data-collection instrument
· Arrange collection of the data
4. Making sense of the data
· Data reduction
· Data organisation
· Data Interpretation
5. Presenting the data (Report results)