Research design/ɹɪˈsɜːtʃ/ /dɪˈzaɪn/

The essential parameters of a research project, including factors such as its basic approach (qualitative, quantitative or some combination); the sample or target to be interviewed or observed; numbers of interviews or observations; research locations; questionnaire or discussion outline; tasks and materials to be introduced; and so on.

There are always many possible ways to address a specific research problem and the research design - the way the researcher formulates the problem and designs a project to address the client's issues - is a key part of how a research proposal is evaluated.