Pursuing Bullet-Proof Research Design: Towards 360 Degree and Stakeholder-Driven Research Design for Better and Faster Scientific Progress

The objective of this paper is to emphasize the need for reliable and bullet-proof research designs. We begin this paper by discussing what a research design is, tracing its history, and discussing the types of research design as well. We then emphasize the need for 360 degree approaches to research design, and also trace it to our previously published COMPASS model. We also differentiate between a hypothesis and a research design in order to bring out the importance of research design in scientific studies. We emphasize the need for stakeholder-driven approaches in this paper, along with interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. The need for cross-cultural approaches to research, and cross-cultural research design is stressed along with dialectical approaches. We also discuss previously-published, but less than ideal studies such as fertility and IQ studies, national IQ studies, race and IQ studies, and some other examples to add substance to our paper. We hope, anticipate and expect that the present paper will become a vital one in twenty-first century research studies, as it can go a long way in ensuring a reliable and robust research design.