The Research Design Studio emerged from my experience working with postgraduate and doctoral researchers on their dissertation projects, as well as from my own experience navigating the intellectual challenges of doctoral research.

During my PhD, I benefited from an institutional initiative that provided additional intellectual support for doctoral students beyond formal coursework. The program created a safe and productive space where doctoral researchers could reflect on their research, refine their questions, and think more deliberately about how theory, literature, and method shape research design. That experience helped me recognize the value of additional structured support for doctoral researchers as they navigate the challenges of designing, executing, and communicating independent research projects.

The studio grew out of a simple question:

What if there were a complementary space where doctoral researchers could apply what they learn in research design courses as they begin shaping their own dissertation projects—a space where an initial research interest could gradually take form as a well-developed research design?

The Research Design Studio was developed in response to this question.

Drawing on workshop-based pedagogies used in writing and design education, the studio provides a collaborative setting where researchers refine their research problems, identify key theoretical concepts, and develop methodologically grounded study designs.

The aim of the studio is not simply to teach research methods, but to support scholars in developing the conceptual clarity and analytical rigor required for sustained academic inquiry.

The workshops are designed to complement existing doctoral coursework and research training initiatives within universities, particularly by supporting researchers at key stages such as proposal development, conceptual framework construction, and early-stage research design.

Through this work, the studio seeks to contribute to a shared institutional goal: strengthening the quality, confidence, and intellectual independence of emerging researchers.

Dr. Nirmala Narayan