Writing the Research Methodology Section of Your Thesis |
Posted: November 24, 2022 |
What is a thesis research methodology?A thesis research methodology explains the type of research performed, justifies the methods that you chose by linking back to the literature review, and describes the data collection and analysis procedures. It is included in your thesis after the Introduction section. Most importantly, this is the section where the readers of your study evaluate its validity and reliability. What should the research methodology section in your thesis include?
What should not be included in the research methodology section of your thesis?
Types of methodological approachesThe choice of which methodological approach to use depends on your field of research and your thesis question. Your methodology should establish a clear relationship with your thesis question and must also be supported by your literature review. Types of methodological approaches include quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. Quantitative studies generate data in the form of numbers to count, classify, measure, or identify relationships or patterns. Information may be collected by performing experiments and tests, conducting surveys, or using existing data. The data are analyzed using statistical tests and presented as charts or graphs. Quantitative data are typically used in the Sciences domain.
The raw data will need to be prepared for statistical analysis by identifying variables and checking for missing data and outliers. Details of the statistical software program used (name of the package, version number, and supplier name and location) must also be mentioned. Qualitative studies gather non-numerical data using, for example, observations, focus groups, and in-depth interviews. Open-ended questions are often posed. This yields rich, detailed, and descriptive results. Qualitative studies are usually subjective and are helpful for investigating social and cultural phenomena, which are difficult to quantify. Qualitative studies are typically used in the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) domain.
The raw data will need to be prepared for analysis by coding and categorizing ideas and themes to interpret the meaning behind the responses given. Mixed methods use a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches to present multiple findings about a single phenomenon. This enables triangulation: verification of the data from two or more sources. Data collectionExplain the rationale behind the sampling procedure you have chosen. This could involve probability sampling (a random sample from the study population) or non-probability sampling (does not use a random sample). For quantitative studies, describe the sampling procedure and whether statistical tests were used to determine the sample size.
For qualitative research, describe how the participants were chosen and how the data is going to be collected.
Data analysisFor quantitative research, describe what tests you plan to perform and why you have chosen them. Popular data analysis methods in quantitative research include:
For qualitative research, describe how the data is going to be analyzed and justify your choice. Popular data analysis methods in qualitative research include: Evaluate and justify your methodological choicesYou need to convince the reader that you have made the correct methodological choices. Once again, this ties back to your thesis question and literature review. Write using a persuasive tone, and use rhetoric to convince the reader of the quality, reliability, and validity of your research. Ethical considerations
Tips for writing a robust thesis research methodology
ConclusionA thesis methodology justifies why you have chosen a specific approach to address your thesis question. It explains how you will collect the data and analyze it. Above all, it allows the readers of your study to evaluate its validity and reliability. A thesis is the most crucial document that you will write during your academic studies. For professional thesis editing and thesis proofreading services, visit Enago Thesis Editing for more information.
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