Research Skills, One Step at a Time: Microcredentials for the SLP in Research Design

Good research starts with good design. A study with a vague question, a poorly matched method or a weak sampling plan cannot be rescued by sophisticated analysis afterwards. Yet many postgraduate students begin their studies after years away from a research environment, or without ever having completed a research-based degree.

The Short Learning Programme in Research Design

Optentia’s Short Learning Programme in Research Design was developed to close that gap. Over 19 weeks and 160 notional hours, participants work through ten study units that cover the nature of research and the philosophy of science, the research proposal, the literature review and academic writing, qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods designs, statistical analysis with software such as JASP, jamovi, RStudio and Mplus, and scientific publishing. The programme also addresses two things that research methods courses often neglect: the psychological readiness of the student for postgraduate study, and the responsible use of AI tools in research. Participants finish with a research proposal that is evaluated by three independent researchers. The value of the programme lies in that combination: it builds the knowledge to design a sound study, the practical skills to carry it out, and the confidence to begin.

What are microcredentials?

A microcredential is a short, focused unit of learning that certifies one specific skill or competency. It has three features:

• It is small. It takes hours, not months, to complete.

• It is assessed. The learner must show evidence that they can do what the credential claims.

• It stands alone. It can be issued on its own, and several can be stacked towards a larger qualification or programme.

A traditional course says, “This person attended a programme in research design.” A microcredential says something more precise: “This person can build a search strategy,” or “This person can run and interpret a linear regression.”

Why microcredentials matter for research design skills

Research design is not one skill. It is a chain of distinct skills, and a study is only as strong as the weakest one. Microcredentials suit this kind of learning for four reasons:

• Learners can start where their need is. A master’s student who writes well but has never analysed data does not need the same learning as a manager who needs to evaluate research reports.

• Skills are learned when they are needed. A doctoral candidate can complete a credential on interview design in the month before fieldwork, when it matters most.

• Evidence replaces attendance. Each credential is earned by demonstrating the skill, which gives supervisors and employers something specific to rely on.

• Learning fits working lives. Many postgraduate students study part-time. A unit that can be completed in a few sittings is achievable in a way that a 19-week commitment sometimes is not.

The team

Three colleagues are currently working on the microcredentials: Prof. Ian Rothmann, Prof. Liandi van den Berg and Prof. Blessed Ngwenya. A larger North-West University team will soon become involved in the further development of the project.

What our microcredentials will look like

We are developing microcredentials across all ten study units of the programme. The full framework is still being finalised, so we are not sharing it yet, but a few examples show the idea:

• Research paradigms: defining the philosophical assumptions behind research and linking them to paradigms.

• Searching and managing the literature: building a search strategy, running a database search and managing the results in a reference manager.

• Qualitative sampling and interview design: selecting a sampling strategy and writing interview questions that answer the research questions.

• Questionnaire construction and validation: developing a questionnaire and planning its validation.

• Linear regression: running, checking and interpreting a regression model in statistical software.

• Communicating research for impact: turning a scholarly paper into a policy brief for non-academic audiences.

Each of these is a skill a researcher can name, practise, demonstrate and use straight away.

What comes next

The framework will be refined as the wider North-West University team joins the project. We will share more about the full set of microcredentials, and how to enrol, once it is finalised. In the meantime, enquiries about the Short Learning Programme in Research Design can be sent to Lynn Booysen (lynn.booysen@nwu.ac.za).