Aims: The research (in preprint) examines the outcomes of undergraduate students using Choguill's (2005) Research Design Matrix to develop a research project and ensure its internal coherence. This is the first study to investigate the use of this matrix and its benefits in students with no prior research experience. Practical approaches and strategies to instruct in the design of such a project are scarce in the literature. Method: To carry out the study a qualitative thematic analysis was conducted; data was collected by interviewing undergraduate students using the Mobile Instant Messaging Interview (MIMI) technique; participants were selected by purposive sampling; Nvivo 13 was used for the analysis. Conclusions: The results suggest that the Research Design Matrix helps students to structure their projects, to maintain consistency between its components throughout their execution, and assists the teacher in the process of guiding the student through the stages of the research.