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The Saunders Research Onion is a structured model that helps people organise research decisions, but it is not often used the way examiners expect. What actually goes wrong is that students often use it as a diagram to explain things instead of a system to back up their choices. The job of the research methodology framework is not to list options but to show the logical alignment between philosophy, approaches, and methods. Therefore, misuse usually happens when layers are mixed up without explanation or chosen for convenience. The examiners notice this immediately. As poor alignment signals weak methodological control and directly results in low marks, even when the topic and data are strong.
The Research Onion is not a diagram to be described or a checklist to be completed. It functions as a sequencing mechanism that governs methodological decision-making. Each layer represents a commitment that restricts what can logically follow. The inward movement is deliberate: once an outer position is fixed, all subsequent choices must operate within its boundaries. When the model is treated as a static visual, its core role as a control structure for research design is lost.
Many students assume examiners assess methodology chapters by counting layers or terminology. They don’t. Judgement is based on whether decisions align across stages, whether the reasoning remains consistent, and whether each choice is justified by what precedes it. When this logic is visible, the methodology reads as deliberately constructed. When it isn’t, the chapter looks like disconnected components assembled without design intent.
The most damaging error occurs when layers are handled independently, with methods selected first and theoretical positions adjusted later to fit. This reverses the model’s logic and immediately weakens methodological credibility. In research philosophy in methodology, assumptions about knowledge and reality are meant to guide the entire design, not justify it after the fact. When philosophy is retrofitted to technical choices, examiners interpret it as a loss of methodological control and penalise it accordingly.
The Saunders Research Onion is a research methodology framework that organises methodological decisions as a sequence of dependent choices. Developed by Mark Saunders and colleagues (Saunders et al., 2019), it requires alignment between philosophical assumptions, research approaches, and methods. Its layered structure ensures that earlier methodological decisions govern what can logically follow, which is the basis on which examiners judge coherence. The layers below are addressed in this required order.
In the Saunders Research Onion, research philosophy in methodology sets the rules for all future decisions. Positivism, interpretivism, and pragmatism are not checkboxes - they are commitments that determine which approaches and methods are valid.
A common mistake is listing multiple philosophies without committing. This signals confusion and weakens credibility in the eyes of examiners.
Philosophy is the backbone: it predetermines what can be justified. Without a clear stance, later choices appear arbitrary, and methodological coherence collapses even before execution begins.
In the Saunders Research Onion, the research approach defines the logic linking philosophical assumptions to methodological execution. Deductive, inductive, or abductive reasoning must reflect the chosen philosophy; any misalignment immediately signals inconsistency to examiners.
A frequent error is selecting approaches for convenience rather than logic, producing a data–approach mismatch that undermines credibility. The approach is not a neutral label; it dictates how the evidence is collected, analysed, and interpreted, ensuring that every subsequent methodological choice remains coherent and defensible.
In the Research Onion Saunders, the research methodology framework dictates whether a study uses mono, multi, or mixed methods. Take it as a structural commitment, not a stylistic option. Choices must follow philosophy and approach; misalignment signals methodological failure instantly.
A common error is treating mixed methods as a “safe choice” without justification. Complexity alone does not protect marks. Every decision must be defended against prior layers, or the methodology collapses before execution begins, exposing the study to immediate examiner critique.
Selecting a research strategy without first considering the philosophy undermines the methodological credibility and indicates to the examiners that the study lacks control. Case study, survey, and experiment are not interchangeable; each is a logic-driven choice that must reflect prior decisions.
Strategy is execution in action. Selecting it arbitrarily breaks the design chain, making later data collection and analysis appear unplanned. Only strategies that are fully aligned with earlier layers can be looked at closely; anything else faces immediate examiner rejection.
The time horizon in research design determines what can feasibly be studied and how conclusions are drawn. Cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches are not interchangeable; each choice carries consequences for feasibility, data validity, and logical consistency.
A common mistake is forcing a longitudinal design to appear “rigorous”. Arbitrary selection exposes gaps in planning and signals to examiners that the study was designed without methodological control. The time horizon is mandatory since it limits the capabilities of all subsequent layers.
In the Saunders et al. 2019 Research Onion, techniques and procedures in research determine how data is collected and analysed, and they must fully reflect all prior layers. Methods are not arbitrary; they are the execution of decisions already made in philosophy, approach, and strategy.
A common error is using generic labels like “interviews and surveys” without alignment. This signals superficial planning and immediate examiner doubt. Every method must demonstrate coherence with earlier choices, or the study’s credibility collapses before analysis even begins.
After defining each layer individually, the real test begins: whether the six decisions interlock as a single system. Examiners do not reward isolated correctness. They look at chain logic: how each choice limits and supports the next one through the six layers of the Saunders Research Onion.
Aligned chain (scores well): Alignment begins when research philosophy fixes the approach and limits the available methodology. From that point onwards, the strategy, time horizon, and techniques must align without contradiction.
This is how examples of research design using the Research Onion demonstrate control and coherence.
Broken chain (loses marks): Here, methods are chosen first, philosophy is retrofitted, and a strategy is forced to appear rigorous.
The judgement is immediate. Alignment signals methodological control and intent. Misalignment signals random assembly, regardless of how many layers are named. Marks follow that distinction.
Using the Saunders et al. 2019 Research Onion does not automatically demonstrate methodological competence. Examiners assess how decisions are justified, constrained, and aligned — not whether the model is mentioned or visually mapped. The failures below are not minor errors or stylistic weaknesses; they are classification-level faults that repeatedly prevent students from accessing higher marks, even when the topic and data are sound.
Listing all six layers without justification → Marked as descriptive, not methodological
Naming layers without explaining why each choice was made fails coherence checks. Examiners do not award marks for recognition; they award marks for controlled decision-making.
Selecting methods first and retrofitting philosophy → Classified as methodological reversal
When philosophy is adjusted to suit chosen methods, the design is read as constructed after the fact. This is treated as weak methodological control and lowered below higher classifications.
Using mixed methods “to be safe” → Penalised as method inflation
Adding qualitative and quantitative elements without necessity signals indecision, not rigour. Examiners reduce marks where complexity replaces justification.
Mismatch between approach and data → Fails internal logic criteria
Claiming a deductive approach while generating themes inductively, or vice versa, shows the student does not understand their own reasoning structure. This is a direct credibility loss.
Generic techniques language (“interviews and surveys”) → Treated as superficial execution
Vague references to data collection without alignment to prior layers fail depth thresholds. Examiners read this as template-driven writing, not research design.
UK examiners do not expect the Saunders Research Onion to be reproduced, explained, or walked through in a methodology chapter. It should be referenced as a justification framework, not as content in its own right.
When used correctly, it anchors methodological decisions to recognised authority (Saunders et al. 2019 Research Onion) and signals that choices were made deliberately, not assembled opportunistically. Examiners seek concise positioning that explains why this philosophy, approach, and this exact method were chosen. While framing these choices as consequences of earlier commitments rather than as standalone explanations.
What separates higher classifications at Level 6 and postgraduate level is restraint. Clear justification consistently outperforms methodological sophistication. Overloading the chapter with terminology, diagrams, or a step-by-step narrative is read as compensation for weak reasoning.
Examiners reward clarity because it demonstrates control; excessive complexity without necessity is treated as insecurity. This is why guidance on how to apply the Saunders Research Onion in dissertations is assessed through coherence and alignment, not through how thoroughly the model is described.
If the Research Onion does not actively justify decisions in examiner language, it adds no methodological value and attracts no credit.
The Saunders Research Onion is not a descriptive model or a methodological ornament. It is strongly a decision system that exposes how research designs are built and justified. Examiners assess the research onion model through alignment, constraint, and reasoning discipline, not through how completely it is reproduced. When choices follow a controlled sequence, methodology reads as intentional and defensible. When they do not, the work collapses into assembly rather than design. This differentiation governs marks in UK universities. The Saunders Research Onion rewards methodological control and penalises everything that merely looks methodological.
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Of course not; mentioning the model carries no credit. Examiners strictly look for whether each methodological decision is justified through the model. Naming the research onion without even explaining the decision logic will be perceived as a lowered understanding, descriptive, and poor score.
No. Choosing methods first and fitting philosophy afterwards reverses the model’s logic. Examiners read this as retrofitting and a loss of methodological control, which immediately lowers marks regardless of data quality.
Well, it doesn’t go like that; mixed methods only score when logically required. If you view them as a “safe” option without justification, it reflects indecision instead of rigour. Examiners penalise unnecessary complexity more than they reward methodological breadth.
They judge whether each layer constrains the next without contradiction. Philosophy must limit approach, strategy must dictate methods, and execution must reflect all prior choices. Alignment signals control; misalignment signals random assembly.
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