Research design is the set of choices that connects your research question to credible evidence and a defensible conclusion. Investing time here usually saves time later (and prevents the kind of major rewrite that feels unfair later on).
A well-defined research design leads to a clear research question, a justified methodology, and a coherent thesis structure. A weak design leads to confusion, rework, and shifting goals (see Figure 1).
Some research is inevitably exploratory, but you can make the most of what you can control and make your design robust.
