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After this lesson, you should be able to:

1. Classify different research designs and methods 2. Use appropriate design and method that will fit in their study 3. Create a knowledge organizer in research methodology 4. Show appreciation of the importance of research methodology to research

This module engage in the plan of categorizing the different research designs and methods of research and the appropriate design and method to be used that will match in their chosen study. Through this module, students will understand how important to know the different methods and designs in a research paper.

MODULE 4: Writing Chapter 3:

Research Methodology Timeframe: 90 Minutes

Role of Parents/Guardian:

• Designate an area to do the task • Check that the assigned task is completed • Provide access to reading material via online • Monitor the utilization of research module

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WRITING CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

How to Write a Research Methodology

Published on February 25, 2019 by Shona McCombes. Revised on July 16, 2021.

In your thesis or dissertation, you will have to discuss the methods you used to do your research. The methodology chapter explains what you did and how you did it, allowing readers to evaluate the reliability and validity of the research. It should include:

The type of research you did How you collected your data How you analyzed your data Any tools or materials you used in the research Your rationale for choosing these methods

The methodology section should generally be written in the past tense.

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Academic style guides in your field may also provide detailed guidelines on what to include for different types of studies. For example, there are specific guidelines for writing an APA methods section.

The Contents

1. Explain your methodological approach 2. Describe your methods of data collection 3. Describe your methods of analysis 4. Evaluate and justify your methodological choices 5. Tips for writing a strong methodology 6. Frequently asked questions about methodology

STEPS IN WRITING RESEARCH METHODOLGY

Step 1: Explain your methodological approach

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Begin by introducing your overall approach to the research.

What research problem or question did you investigate? For example, did

you aim to systematically describe the characteristics of something, to explore an

under-researched topic, or to establish a cause-and-effect relationship? And

what type of data did you need to achieve this aim?

Did you need quantitative data (expressed in numbers) or qualitative data (expressed in words)?

Did you need to collect primary data yourself, or did you use secondary data that was collected by someone else?

Did you gather experimental data by controlling and manipulating variables, or descriptive data by gathering observations without intervening?

Depending on your discipline and approach, you might also begin with a discussion of the rationale and assumptions underpinning your methodology.

Why is this the most suitable approach to answering your research questions?

Is this a standard methodology in your field or does it require justification? Were there any ethical or philosophical considerations? What are the criteria for validity and reliability in this type of research?

In a quantitative experimental study, you might aim to produce

generalizable knowledge about the causes of a phenomenon. Valid research

requires a carefully designed study under controlled conditions that can be

replicated by other researchers. In a qualitative ethnography, you might aim to

produce contextual real-world knowledge about the behaviors, social structures

and shared beliefs of a specific group of people. As this methodology is less

controlled and more interpretive, you will need to reflect on your position as

researcher, taking into account how your participation and perception might

have influenced the results.

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Step 2: Describe your methods of data collection

Once you have introduced your overall methodological approach, you should give full details of your data collection methods.

Quantitative methods

In quantitative research, for valid generalizable results, you should describe your methods in enough detail for another researcher to replicate your study.

Explain how you operationalized concepts and measured your variables; your sampling method or inclusion/exclusion criteria; and any tools, procedures and materials you used to gather data.

Surveys

Describe where, when and how the survey was conducted.

How did you design the questionnaire and what form did the questions take (e.g. multiple choice, Likert scale)?

What sampling method did you use to select participants? Did you conduct surveys by phone, mail, online or in person, and how long did

participants have to respond? What was the sample size and response rate?

You might want to include the full questionnaire as an appendix so that your reader can see exactly what data was collected.

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Experiments

Give full details of the tools, techniques and procedures you used to conduct the experiment.

How did you design the experiment? How did you recruit participants? How did you manipulate and measure the variables? What tools or technologies did you use in the experiment?

In experimental research, it is especially important to give enough detail for another researcher to reproduce your results.

Existing data

Explain how you gathered and selected material (such as publications or archival data) for inclusion in your analysis.

Where did you source the material? How was the data originally produced? What criteria did you use to select material (e.g. date range)?

Quantitative methods example, the survey consisted of 5 multiple-choice

questions and 10 questions that were measured on a 7-point Likert scale. The

aim was to conduct the survey with 350 customers of Company X on the

company premises in The Hague from 4-8 July 2017 between 11:00 and 15:00. A

customer was defined as a person who had purchased a product from Company

X on the day of questioning. Participants were given 5 minutes to fill in the

survey anonymously, and 408 customers responded. Because not all surveys

were fully completed, 371 survey results were included in the analysis.

Qualitative methods

In qualitative research, since methods are often more flexible and subjective, it’s important to reflect on the approach you took and explain the choices you made.

Discuss the criteria you used to select participants or sources, the context in which the research was conducted, and the role you played in collecting the data (e.g. were you an active participant or a passive observer?)

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Interviews or focus groups

Describe where, when and how the interviews were conducted.

How did you find and select participants? How many people took part? What form did the interviews take (structured, semi-structured,

unstructured)? How long were the interviews and how were they recorded?

Participant observation

Describe where, when and how you conducted the observation or ethnography.

What group or community did you observe and how did you gain access to them?

How long did you spend conducting the research and where was it located? What role did you play in the community? How did you record your data (e.g. audiovisual recordings, note-taking)?

Existing data

Explain how you selected case study materials (such as texts or images) for the focus of your analysis.

What type of materials did you analyze? How did you collect and select them?

Qualitative methods example In order to gain a better insight into the

possibilities for improvement of the product range, semi-structured interviews

were conducted with 8 returning customers from the main target group of

Company X. A returning customer was defined as someone who usually bought

products at least twice a week from Company X. The surveys were used to select

participants who belonged to the target group (20-45 years old). Interviews

were conducted in a small office next to the cash register, and lasted

approximately 20 minutes each. Answers were recorded by note-taking, and

seven interviews were also filmed with consent. One interviewee preferred not

to be filmed.

What can proof-reading do for your paper?

Editors not only correct grammar and spelling mistakes, but also strengthen your writing by making sure your paper is free of vague language, redundant words and awkward phrasing.

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See editing example

Step 3: Describe your methods of analysis

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Next, you should indicate how you processed and analyzed the data. Avoid going into too much detail—you should not start presenting or discussing any of your results at this stage.

Quantitative methods

In quantitative research, your analysis will be based on numbers. In the methods section you might include:

How you prepared the data before analyzing it (e.g. checking for missing data, removing outliers, transforming variables)

Which software you used to analyze the data (e.g. SPSS, Stata or R) Which statistical tests you used (e.g. two-tailed t-test, simple linear

regression)

Quantitative method example before analysis of the gathered data was

prepared. The dataset was checked for missing data and outliers. For this the

“outlier labeling rule” was used. All values outside the calculated range were

considered outliers (Hoaglin & Iglewicz, 1987). The data was then analyzed

using statistical software SPSS.

Qualitative methods

In qualitative research, your analysis will be based on language, images and observations (often involving some form of textual analysis). Specific methods might include:

Content analysis: categorizing and discussing the meaning of words, phrases and sentences

Thematic analysis: coding and closely examining the data to identify broad themes and patterns

Discourse analysis: studying communication and meaning in relation to their social context

Qualitative method example, the interviews were transcribed and thematic

analysis was conducted. This involved coding all the data before identifying and

reviewing six key themes. Each theme was examined to gain an understanding of

participants’ perceptions and motivations.

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Step 4: Evaluate and justify your methodological choices

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.

Lab-based experiments can’t always accurately simulate real-life situations and

behaviors, but they are effective for testing causal relationships

between variables. Unstructured interviews usually produce results that cannot

be generalized beyond the sample group, but they provide a more in-depth

understanding of participants’ perceptions, motivations and emotions.

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Tips for writing a strong methodology

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.

Focus on your objectives and research questions

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.

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Cite relevant sources

Your methodology can be strengthened by reference to existing research in the field, either to:

Confirm that you followed established practices for this type of research Discuss how you evaluated different methodologies and decided on your

approach Show that you took a novel methodological approach to address a gap in the

literature

Write for your audience

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Consider how much information you need to give, and don’t go into unnecessary detail. If you are using methods that are standard for your discipline, you probably don’t need to give lots of background or justification. 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.

Discuss obstacles

If you encountered difficulties in collecting or analyzing data, explain how you dealt with them. Show how you minimized 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.

References:

How to Write a Research Methodology in Four Steps (scribbr.com)

https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrJ4Nbb91phajkAehaJzbkF;_ylu=c2VjA3NlYXJjaARzbGsDYnV0dG9

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Answer briefly the following question.

1. What can proof-reading do for your paper?

2. What chapter of the paper that allows the reader to evaluate the reliability and validity of the

research paper?

3. In Qualitative research, where will you base your analysis?

4. What are the forms of interview? Qualify each form.

5. What are the specific analyses included in Qualitative Method?

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MOOD BOARD. Write the key words associated in Research Methodology

RESEARCH

METHODOLOGY

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CREATING A KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZER

Write your respond in word or phrase

KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZER

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Word Phrase

Ex. Accuracy Ex. Analyze data

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REFERENCES

Almeida, A., et al. (2016).Research Fundamentals: From Concept to Output. Adriana Publishing Co., Inc. Quezon City, Manila, Philippines.

Apolonio, J., et al. (2017) Practical Research 2. Unlimited Books Library Services and Publishing, Inc. Manila, Philippines.

Subject Requirements

Activities/Worksheets Stipulated in the Module Quarterly Examinations

How to Write a Research Methodology in Four Steps (scribbr.com)