Chapter Three, Critical Qualitative Research Design, offers an ecological approach to qualitative research design that engages and supports criticality in qualitative research. The chapter begins with an overview of the qualitative research design process and then delves into specific discussions of focal aspects of the process including: developing study goals and rationale; formulating research questions; developing a conceptual framework; creating a theoretical framework and literature review; the role of writing in research design; considerations of site and participant selection; and the role of pilot studies and piloting instruments. Throughout the chapter we include a variety of recommended practices including memos on study goals and rationale, researcher identity/positionality, core constructs in research questions, goals of each of your research questions, theoretical framework development, implicit theory guiding your study, and critical research design. We also offer dialogic engagement practices including structured sets of conversations, paired question and reflection activities, reflective journaling, activities to help with your mapping of goals, research topic, and research questions, practices to help connect your research questions with methods, and theoretical framework charting.