What should a methodology chapter include

For example, the type of research you conducted e. Firstly, it demonstrates your understanding of research design theory, which is what earns you marks. Secondly, the methodology chapter is what helps to make your study replicable — in other words, it allows other researchers to undertake your study using the same design, and compare their findings to yours. This is very important within academic research, as each study builds on previous studies. The methodology chapter is also important because it allows you to identify and discuss any methodological issues or problems you encountered i.

Again, this demonstrates your understanding of research design, which will earn you marks. See how Grad Coach can help you Before you start writing, we always recommend that you draw up a rough outline , so that you have a clear direction to head in. Start with the end in mind. As with all chapters in your dissertation or thesis, the methodology chapter should have a brief introduction. In this introduction, you should remind your readers what the focus of your study is, especially the research aims.

This will help orient the reader and provide a bit of a roadmap so that they know what to expect. The next section of your methodology chapter should present your research design to the reader.

In this section, you need to detail and justify all the key design choices in a logical, intuitive fashion. Research philosophy refers to the underlying beliefs i. While several research philosophies exist, two commonly adopted ones are positivism and interpretivism. Positivism is commonly the underlying research philosophy in quantitative studies. It states that the researcher can observe reality objectively and that there is only one reality, which exists independent of the observer.

Contrasted with this, interpretivism , which is often the underlying research philosophy in qualitative studies, assumes that the researcher performs a role in observing the world around them and that reality is unique to each observer. In other words, reality is observed subjectively. These are just two philosophies there are many , but they demonstrate significantly different approaches to research and have a significant impact on all the research design choices.

The next thing you would typically discuss in your methodology section is the research type. The starting point for this is to indicate whether the research you conducted is inductive or deductive. With inductive research, theory is generated from the ground up i. Deductive research, on the other hand, starts with established theory and builds onto it with collected data, and therefore these studies tend to be confirmatory in approach.

Again, when you write this section up, remember to clearly justify your choices, as they form the foundation of your study. This research design choice refers to how you conduct your research based on the aims of your study. Several research strategies exist, including experiments , case studies , ethnography , grounded theory, action research , and phenomenology.

Often, documenting how you overcame obstacles can form an interesting part of the methodology. It demonstrates to the reader that you can provide a cogent rationale for the decisions you made to minimize the impact of any problems that arose. Literature Review Just as the literature review section of your paper provides an overview of sources you have examined while researching a particular topic, the methodology section should cite any sources that informed your choice and application of a particular method [i.

A description of a research study's method should not be confused with a description of the sources of information. Such a list of sources is useful in and of itself, especially if it is accompanied by an explanation about the selection and use of the sources.

The description of the project's methodology complements a list of sources in that it sets forth the organization and interpretation of information emanating from those sources. Azevedo, L. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers , pp. Structuring Your Research Thesis. Methods Section. Writing Center. Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications, , pp. 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 final section of your methodology references the sources you used when determining your overall methodology. This reinforces the validity of your research. When writing a methodology, use these tips to guide your work:. 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.