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Writing Methodologies

Writing about Methods

Writing about the methods you have used in your research is sometimes considered a relatively easy part of thesis writing. However, you are actually doing multiple things in this section and there are a couple of important distinctions that you need to be aware of here. These are summarised well in the following diagram.

 

(Figure: Paltridge and Starfield, Thesis and Dissertation Writing, p123)

Methodologies

Your research methodology is the overarching framework that steers your research process. It incorporates the concepts, theories, and practices used for collecting, analysing, and interpreting data.

Some factors to consider are:

  • Research design: Was your study experimental, quasi-experimental, descriptive, exploratory, or correlational?
  • Theoretical paradigms: Are you basing your study on specific theoretical principles or models? (See the section on Theory)
  • Data collection methods: Did you use quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods?
  • Dependent variables and independent variables: What were they in your study?
  • Sampling: What is your sample and what sampling methods did you use?
  • Data analysis: Did you conduct qualitative or quantitative analysis?

When you write about your methodology, you need to explain and justify why your research was designed and conducted in the way you have proposed. This is a high-level analysis of the methods of intellectual enquiry in your disciplinary space. It may include discussions of theory and key theorists in your area.

To get started ask yourself:

  • How have others in my discipline approach similar questions?
  • What are the key theoretical frameworks that I have engaged with? What are their advantages and disadvantages in terms of my research questions?
  • Why is the methodological framework I have chosen the best way to address my research questions?

Methods

While your methodology section explains the reasoning behind the chosen methods, your methods section details the practical implementation of how those methods were applied in the research. This may include:

  • data collection methods;
  • participants or sample, including selection criteria, sampling methods and sample size;
  • materials and instruments used, such as questionnaires, tests, equipment, including information about their reliability and validity;
  • procedures;
  • data analysis methods; and
  • ethical considerations.

You should provide sufficient detail to allow someone to replicate your study. However, if you used a published method, you can just reference that method, indicating if you modified it in any way.

References

Paltridge, B. & Starfield, S. (2007) Thesis and Dissertation Writing in a Second Language. Routledge.