This document discusses different research designs and approaches that can be used for a law dissertation. It begins by introducing the topic and stating that a public-private partnership model is often used for legal PhD dissertations. It then outlines the steps in a typical research design process, including identifying a topic and problem, formulating research questions and hypotheses, choosing a methodology, defining the significance of the research, using theories, and conducting a literature review. The document also discusses qualitative and quantitative methodologies and different approaches to socio-legal research like quantitative methods, participant observation, interviews, and analyzing qualitative data. It emphasizes developing a conceptual framework and considering research ethics.

1. Copyright © 2020 PhdAssistance. All rights reserved 1
What are the Different Research Design /Ways that I can Approach My Law
Dissertation
Dr. Nancy Agens, Head,
Technical Operations, Phdassistance
info@phdassistance.com
In Brief
Developing a plan in which data gathering
and data analysis are conducted to carry
out the Research. A Conceptual
Framework must be developed to ensure
the reliability and authenticity of a
research project.
Keywords: Ph.D. dissertation, Thesis help,
legal research, Ph.D. legal research, Ph.D.
legal dissertation.
I. INTRODUCTION
The best-approached model that has been
approached in a Legal PhD Dissertation is
the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
Education in law is a professed de-facto
combination of liberal and professional.
Anyhow, most of the education systems in
law and order across the world have failed in
guiding students for profession and create a
relaxing effect in law students. Several
attempts have been made over a different
time period, to improve the legal education
system in India. Furthermore, a part of legal
education is always insignificant in the
higher education system of India. Therefore,
the legal education system in India is weak
both in both quality and quantity. The aim of
this research study is to meet the following
steps.
1. To determine the basis for the PPP in the
legal education system.
2. To expand the best framework to
implement PPP in the legal research system
of India.
3. To propose a legal framework that is
robust to restructure the legal education
system for global India.
II. RESEARCH DESIGN
Research design is nothing but developing a
plan in which the research will be done in
relation to data gathering and data analysis.
A research plan contains the following steps.
● Discover a research topic and problem
● Prepare research question and hypothesis
● Selecting methodology for research
● Identify the importance of the research
● Find and use a theory
● Accomplishing a Literature Review
Fig. Research Objective

2. Copyright © 2020 PhdAssistance. All rights reserved 2
A. Identify a Research Topic and Problem
Defining a research topic broadly at the
beginning of the research provides a
structure of reference throughout the period
of the research process that helps the
researcher to be on track. A Research Topic
can be described in a short and
understandable sentence - for example, Drug
use in prisons. The most challenging thing in
defining the research problem is that the
research problem should be unique and the
research work should not be duplicated from
other researches.
B. Formulate the Research Question and
Hypothesis:
After identifying the research topic and
problem, the next step in the research design
is to prepare a research question and a
hypothesis to conduct the research. Both
methodologies make use of research
questions but hypotheses are used only for
Quantitative Research. Preferably, a
researcher will begin the research by talking
to people who are familiar in the field, and
then, based on the data gathered, the
research question is designed. Discovering
research questions after starting the research
unlikely leads to precise research, but
preparing dynamic research questions is a
good idea. When preparing qualitative
research questions, the most common
method is to form one main question and
many sub-questions. Quantitative
Research questions vary according to
whether the researcher wishes to assess
participants involved in research once to
provide a descriptive account or the
researcher wants to establish involvement in
order to learn its effect and introduce a
causality between the involvement and the
effect.
C. Choose a Research Methodology:
Once the research question has been formed,
the researcher must think in detail about
what methodology is to be chosen and
which methodology will best answer the
research question, and then Choose that
Methodology.
Qualitative Research Methodology: In
qualitative research, importance is placed on
people’s feelings, their insights.
Quantitative research methodology: In
quantitative research methodology, various
research methods can be used. Two of the
commonly used approaches are descriptive
and experimental research.
D. Define the Significance of the Research:
The next process in the research design is to
describe the significance of the research.
This is a main step of research, as it relates
to the choice of the research problem, which
should describe an important issue, assist in
solving that issue, and not copy already
existing research.
E. Find and Use a Theory:
In both Quantitative and Qualitative
Research, the hypothesis can be used to
direct grouping and interpreting data and to
recommend justification for the observations
and findings of the research. Researchers
often examine hypotheses and answer
research questions in quantitative research.
F. Carry Out a Literature Review:
An important stage in research design is
doing a literature review, which the
researcher must conduct to study in detail to
explore the research topic. Review of
literature involves interpreting, analyzing,
assessing, and summarizing written material.

3. Copyright © 2020 PhdAssistance. All rights reserved 2
III. DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO
SOCIO-LEGAL RESEARCH
The socio-legal method seems to occupy
space between two ends of a methodological
field. At one end, a strict doctrinal approach
depends mainly on the well-versed analysis
of judicial and legislative decisions from the
top most courts. On the other end, important
legal studies and legal economic analyses
refrain from the concerns, hypotheses, and
informants of the external point of view.
While background analysis is increasingly
the rule in legal scholarship, external
informants are important to a socio-legal
approach.
Researchers must focus on the importance of
developing a conceptual framework that will
make sure the reliability and veracity of a
research project.
IV. RESEARCH METHODS IN LAW
1. Quantitative approaches in socio-legal
research: Quantitative methods usage in
Socio-Legal Research is ever-growing.
2. Participant Observation: Observation of
participants is a type of research that could
be considered as absolutely conflicting to
the collection of Quantitative Data.
3. Interviews: The researcher must focus on
conducting semi-structured and free
interviews.
4. Analyzing qualitative data: Challenges are
posed in qualitative data for merging
creativity and rigidity in their analysis.
5. Research Ethics: Significant ethical issues
may emerge during socio-legal research.
Ethical issues and ethical thinking in social
studies are the important things that are to be
considered.
V. CONCLUSION
There are many reasons for conducting
Legal Research. Some people use legal
research to find out the sources of law that
are pertinent for understanding a legal
problem and then identifying a solution for
the problem. It is evident that lawyers who
are practicing law must conduct realistic and
legal research in an efficient manner because
of the cost insinuation for their clients.
Others might use legal research as a means
to extend the knowledge of features of law
and the function of the legal structure that
are of great concern.
REFERENCES
1. Nirmal, 2018, Legal Educaion in India : Problems and
Challenges
2. Kristina Simion, 2018, Qualitative and Quantitative
Approaches to Rule of Law Research
3. MHRD, 2019, Research methodology in socio-legal
research
4. Miodrag Jovanović, 2019, Legal Methodology &
Legal Research and Writing
5. Mike McConville, Wing Hong Chui, 2020, Research
Methods for Law Edited by