At the simplest level, Saunders’ research onion describes the different decisions you’ll need to make when developing a research methodology  – whether that’s for your dissertation, thesis or any other formal research project. As you work from the outside of the onion inwards, you’ll face a range of choices that progress from high-level and philosophical to tactical and practical in nature. This also mimics the general structure for the methodology chapter.

1. Saunders’ (2007) Research Onion
Dr Ryan Thomas Williams

2. What is it?
• At the simplest level, Saunders’ research onion describes the different decisions you’ll
need to make when developing a research methodology – whether that’s for your
dissertation, thesis or any other formal research project.
• As you work from the outside of the onion inwards, you’ll face a range of choices that
progress from high-level and philosophical to tactical and practical in nature. This also
mimics the general structure for the methodology chapter.

3. • Figure 4.1 The research
‘onion’
• Source: © 2015 Mark
Saunders, Phillip Lewis
and Adrian Thornhill

4. The layers of Saunders’ research onion
The onion is made up of 6 layers, which you’ll need to peel back one at a time as you
develop your research methodology:
• Research philosophy
• Research approach
• Research strategy
• Choices
• Time horizon
• Techniques & procedures

5. But what about?
Paradigm shift Ethics