Research methodology should include

In the methods section you might include:. Before analysis the gathered data was prepared. The dataset was checked for missing data and outliers. The data was then analysed using statistical software SPSS.

In qualitative research, your analysis will be based on language, images and observations. Methods might include:. The interviews were transcribed and open coded to categorise key themes and identify patterns. Your methodology should make the case for why you chose these particular methods, especially if you did not take the most standard approach to your topic.

Discuss why other methods were not suitable for your objectives, and show how this approach contributes new knowledge or understanding. You can acknowledge limitations or weaknesses in the approach you chose, but justify why these were outweighed by the strengths.

Remember that your aim is not just to describe your methods, but to show how and why you applied them and to demonstrate that your research was rigorously conducted. The methodology section should clearly show why your methods suit your objectives and convince the reader that you chose the best possible approach to answering your problem statement and research questions. Throughout the section, relate your choices back to the central purpose of your dissertation.

But if you take an approach that is less common in your field, you might need to explain and justify your methodological choices. In either case, your methodology should be a clear, well-structured text that makes an argument for your approach, not just a list of technical details and procedures.

If you encountered difficulties in collecting or analysing data, explain how you dealt with them. Show how you minimised the impact of any unexpected obstacles. Pre-empt any major critiques of your approach and demonstrate that you made the research as rigorous as possible. Methodology refers to the overarching strategy and rationale of your research. Developing your methodology involves studying the research methods used in your field and the theories or principles that underpin them, in order to choose the approach that best matches your objectives.

Methods are the specific tools and procedures you use to collect and analyse data e. In a dissertation or scientific paper, the methodology chapter or methods section comes after the introduction and before the results , discussion and conclusion. Depending on the length and type of document, you might also include a literature review or theoretical framework before the methodology.

Quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative research deals with words and meanings. Quantitative methods allow you to test a hypothesis by systematically collecting and analyzing data, while qualitative methods allow you to explore ideas and experiences in depth. A sample is a subset of individuals from a larger population.

Sampling means selecting the group that you will actually collect data from in your research. For example, if you are researching the opinions of students in your university, you could survey a sample of students.

Statistical sampling allows you to test a hypothesis about the characteristics of a population. There are various sampling methods you can use to ensure that your sample is representative of the population as a whole. Thank you. Very useful Should we be using first person for this part?

Constantly saying 'the researcher' feels a bit weird. It depends on the discipline, but most fields nowadays tend to accept the use of first-person pronouns , especially in the methodology section.

If you're unsure, though, it's best to check with your supervisor. This is really helpful and accessible but there is no mention of paradigms and philosophical stances which I thought need to underpin the methodology. Purdue University; Methods and Materials. Department of Biology. Bates College. Statistical Designs and Tests? Do Not Fear Them! Don't avoid using a quantitative approach to analyzing your research problem just because you fear the idea of applying statistical designs and tests.

A qualitative approach, such as conducting interviews or content analysis of archival texts, can yield exciting new insights about a research problem, but it should not be undertaken simply because you have a disdain for running a simple regression.

A well designed quantitative research study can often be accomplished in very clear and direct ways, whereas, a similar study of a qualitative nature usually requires considerable time to analyze large volumes of data and a tremendous burden to create new paths for analysis where previously no path associated with your research problem had existed.

Knowing the Relationship Between Theories and Methods. There can be multiple meaning associated with the term "theories" and the term "methods" in social sciences research.

A helpful way to delineate between them is to understand "theories" as representing different ways of characterizing the social world when you research it and "methods" as representing different ways of generating and analyzing data about that social world. Framed in this way, all empirical social sciences research involves theories and methods, whether they are stated explicitly or not.

However, while theories and methods are often related, it is important that, as a researcher, you deliberately separate them in order to avoid your theories playing a disproportionate role in shaping what outcomes your chosen methods produce. Introspectively engage in an ongoing dialectic between the application of theories and methods to help enable you to use the outcomes from your methods to interrogate and develop new theories, or ways of framing conceptually the research problem.

This is how scholarship grows and branches out into new intellectual territory. Reynolds, R. Ways of Knowing. Alternative Microeconomics. Part 1, Chapter 3. S-Cool Revision. United Kingdom. Methods and the Methodology. Do not confuse the terms "methods" and "methodology. Descriptions of methods usually include defining and stating why you have chosen specific techniques to investigate a research problem, followed by an outline of the procedures you used to systematically select, gather, and process the data [remember to always save the interpretation of data for the discussion section of your paper].

The methodology refers to a discussion of the underlying reasoning why particular methods were used. This discussion includes describing the theoretical concepts that inform the choice of methods to be applied, placing the choice of methods within the more general nature of academic work, and reviewing its relevance to examining the research problem. The methodology section also includes a thorough review of the methods other scholars have used to study the topic. Bryman, Alan.

Chinese Department, University of Leiden, Netherlands. The Methodology. Search this Guide Search. Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper Offers detailed guidance on how to develop, organize, and write a college-level research paper in the social and behavioral sciences. The Abstract Executive Summary 4. The Introduction The C. The Discussion Limitations of the Study 9.

The Conclusion Appendices Importance of a Good Methodology Section You must explain how you obtained and analyzed your results for the following reasons: Readers need to know how the data was obtained because the method you chose affects the results and, by extension, how you interpreted their significance in the discussion section of your paper. Methodology is crucial for any branch of scholarship because an unreliable method produces unreliable results and, as a consequence, undermines the value of your analysis of the findings.

In most cases, there are a variety of different methods you can choose to investigate a research problem. The methodology section of your paper should clearly articulate the reasons why you have chosen a particular procedure or technique.

The reader wants to know that the data was collected or generated in a way that is consistent with accepted practice in the field of study. For example, if you are using a multiple choice questionnaire, readers need to know that it offered your respondents a reasonable range of answers to choose from.

The method must be appropriate to fulfilling the overall aims of the study. For example, you need to ensure that you have a large enough sample size to be able to generalize and make recommendations based upon the findings. The methodology should discuss the problems that were anticipated and the steps you took to prevent them from occurring. For any problems that do arise, you must describe the ways in which they were minimized or why these problems do not impact in any meaningful way your interpretation of the findings.

Here are some frequently asked questions about methodology and their answers:. Methodology is the overall strategy of your research. Methods are procedures like surveys and experiments that you use to collect and analyze your data. In your final paper or report, the methodology section follows your introduction and precedes your results and conclusions. Quantitative research uses numbers and statistics to test a hypothesis through data collection and analysis.

Qualitative research explores ideas and experiences using words and meanings. Validity and reliability are related but distinct concepts about how well a method measures something.

Validity refers to whether results measure what they are supposed to measure. Reliability refers to whether the same results will be consistently reproduced when all conditions are the same.

Sampling is the selection of a group from which data is collected. Sample size is determined by the requirements specific to your research topic. Find jobs. Company reviews. Find salaries.

Upload your resume. Sign in. Career Development. Why is a methodology important? How to write a methodology. Restate your thesis or research problem. Explain the approach you chose. Explain any uncommon methodology you use. Describe how you collected the data you used. Explain the methods you used to analyze the data you collected. Evaluate and justify the methodological choices you made. Discuss any obstacles and their solutions.