In this video, we are going to explore the
methodology chapter of a typical dissertation, thesis or research project. We
will unpack what exactly it is, why it is important and how to
go about writing it step by step. So, grab a cup of coffee grab a cup of tea
whatever works for you and let us jump into it. Hey, welcome to Grad Coach TV where we demystify
and simplify the oftentimes intimidating world of academic research. My name is Emma, and today we
are going to dive into the research methodology chapter specifically how to structure and write
it up. If you are still in the early stages of writing your dissertation or thesis and need help
understanding the research methodology basics or how to choose the right methodology for
your project we have also got separate videos covering those topics. So, be sure to check
them out. I will include the links below. If you are new to Grad Coach TV hit that
subscribe button for more videos covering all things research related. Also, if you are
looking for hands-on help with your research check out our one-on-one coaching services where
we help you craft your research project step by step. It is like having a friendly
professor in your pocket whenever you need it. If that sounds interesting to you,
you can learn more and book a free consultation at gradcoach.com. Aright, with that
out of the way let us get into it. So, the first question we need to address is
what exactly is the research methodology chapter. Simply put the methodology chapter is where
you detail all of the research design choices you have made and explain why you made them. In
other words, the point of the methodology chapter is to tell the reader, your marker, exactly
how you designed your study and to justify each of your research design choices. For example,
in the methodology chapter, you would highlight the type of research you conducted qualitative,
quantitative or mixed methods, how you collected your data, how you analysed your data and who
or where you collected the data from. For each of these choices, you would also explain why you
chose them and how they all fit together. If this sounds a bit intimidating do not worry we will
explain all the key design choices in this video. Also, we have got loads of information
about research design and methodology over on the Grad Coach blog. So, be sure to
check that out. I will include a link below. Now that we have covered the what, the next
important thing to understand is the why. In other words, why is the methodology chapter
important and what purpose does it serve. Well, the methodology chapter is important
for at least three reasons. Firstly it presents an opportunity for you to demonstrate
your understanding of research design theory which is a key assessment criterion for markers.
A flawed research design or methodology would mean flawed results. So, the methodology chapter
is vital as it allows you to show the marker or examiner that you know what you are doing
and that your results are credible. The second reason the methodology chapter is important is
that it helps to make your study replicable. In other words, it allows other researchers to
undertake your study using the same design and then compare their findings to yours. This is very
important within academic research as each study builds on previous studies. Without this chapter
no one would know exactly how you undertook your research and therefore would not be able to
replicate the study in other settings. Lastly, the methodology chapter is important because it allows
you to identify and discuss any methodological issues or shortcomings you encountered along
the way and to explain how you mitigated the impact of these. Your study will invariably have
limitations all studies do. So, it is important to acknowledge these openly and highlight
your study's value despite its limitations. Also, this discussion will help further
demonstrate your understanding of research design thereby earning you marks. Now that we have
covered what the methodology chapter is and why it is important it is time to jump into the exciting
bit, how to structure and write up the chapter. First off it is worth noting that the exact
structure and contents of the methodology chapter will vary depending on the field of research,
for example, business chemistry or engineering as well as the university. So, it is always a
good idea to check the guidelines provided by your institution and if possible review past
dissertations and thesis from your university. Here we are going to discuss a generic structure
for a methodology chapter typically found in the sciences especially the social sciences.
Now a quick tip before you start writing we always recommend that you draw up a rough outline
so that you have a clear direction to head in. Do not just start writing without
knowing what will go where. If you do you will most likely end up with a
disjointed poorly flowing narrative. As a result, you will waste a lot of time writing and rewriting
trying to stitch all the pieces together. Save yourself the pain by starting with the end in
mind. Alright time to get down to business. Let us look at how to structure and
write up the methodology chapter. Section one, the introduction. As with all
chapters in your dissertation or thesis the methodology chapter should kick off
with a brief introduction. In this section, you should remind the readers what the focus of
your study is especially the research aims. As we have discussed many times on this channel your
methodology needs to align with your research aims and research questions. So, it is useful to
front-load this content to remind the reader and yourself what you are trying to achieve with
your research design. In this section, you can also briefly mention how you will structure
the chapter. This will help orient the reader and provide a bit of a road map so that they know
what to expect. Importantly you need to keep this introduction section brief. A paragraph or two
max. Do not waste word count by waffling on here. Section two, the research design. The next section
of your methodology chapter is where you get down to business and present your research design
and methodology to the reader. In this section, you will need to detail and justify all the key
design choices in a logical intuitive fashion. This is the heart of your methodology chapter so
you need to get specific. Do not hold back on the details here. This is not one of those less is
more situations. Broadly speaking there are seven key design choices that you will need to discuss
in the methodology chapter. As I mentioned this may vary depending on your field of research and
or the university but these seven design choices are the most commonly covered ones.
Let us take a look at each of them. Design choice number one, the research
philosophy. The research philosophy refers to the underlying beliefs regarding how
data about a phenomenon should be gathered, analysed and used. Your research philosophy will
serve as the core of your study and underpin all of the other research design choices. So, it
is essential that you understand which philosophy you will adopt and why you made that choice. If
you are not clear on this or if the whole topic of research philosophy seems a bit fluffy to you
take the time to get clarity before you make any other research design choices. If your starting
point is wrong you are going to run into many issues down the road. While there are quite a few
research philosophies to choose from two commonly adopted ones are positivism and interpretivism.
Positivism is commonly the underlying research philosophy in quantitative studies. It states
that the researcher, that is you, can observe reality objectively and that there is only one
reality that exists independently or outside of the observer. Contrasted with this interpretivism
which is often the underlying research philosophy in qualitative studies assumes that the researcher
plays a role in observing the world around them and therefore reality is unique to each observer.
In other words, reality is observed subjectively. These are just two philosophies but they
demonstrate significantly different approaches to research and have a substantial impact
on all of the other research design choices. So, it is vital that you clearly detail and
justify your research philosophy at the beginning of your methodology chapter as it sets
the scene for everything that follows. Design choice number two, the research type. The
next thing you will typically need to discuss in your methodology chapter is the research type. The
starting point for this is to indicate whether the research you conducted is inductive or deductive.
With inductive research, the theory is generated from the ground up. In other words, from the
collected data and therefore these studies tend to be exploratory in terms of their approach.
Deductive research on the other hand starts with an established theory or set of theories and
builds onto it with collected data. Therefore these studies tend to be confirmatory in approach.
If this terminology sounds like gibberish to you be sure to check out our other videos and
blog posts where we break down some of the core concepts in research methodology. As always
I will include links below. In this section of the chapter, you will also need to indicate whether
your study adopts a qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods methodology. As I have mentioned
there is a strong link between this choice and your research philosophy. So, make sure that your
choices are tightly aligned. Again when you write this section up remember to clearly justify your
choices as they form the foundation of your study. With those choices set down, it is time to
talk strategy well, research strategy at least. Design choice number three, the research
strategy. The next design choice you will need to discuss is your research strategy.
In other words, your research action plan. Several research strategies exist including
experiments, case studies, ethnography, grounded theory, action research and phenomenology. Let us
look at two of these. Experiments and ethnography to see how they contrast. Experimental research
makes use of the scientific method where one group serves as the control group in which no variables
are manipulated and another group serves as the experimental group in which a specific variable
of interest is manipulated. This type of research is undertaken under strict conditions in a
controlled artificial environment for example within a laboratory. By having firm control over
the environment, experimental research strategies often allow researchers to establish causation
between variables. In other words, to prove that X causes Y. So, an experimental research strategy
can be a good choice if you have research aims that involve identifying or measuring cause
and effect. Ethnographic research on the other hand involves observing and capturing the
experiences and perceptions of participants in their natural environment. For example, people
at home or at the office. In other words, in an uncontrolled environment. Naturally,
this means that this research strategy would be far less suitable if your research aims involve
identifying causation but would be very valuable if say you were looking to explore and examine
a group culture. For example, the corporate culture at a specific company. As you can see
the right research strategy will depend largely on your research aims and research questions.
Therefore as with every other design choice, it is essential to justify why you chose the
research strategy you did. With the research strategy pinned down, it is time to dig into
some of the more practical design choices. Design choice number four, the time
horizon. The next thing you need to cover in your methodology chapter is
the time horizon. There are two options. Cross-sectional and longitudinal. In other words,
whether the data for your study were all collected at one point in time cross-sectional or at
multiple points in time longitudinal. The choice you make here depends again on your research
aims and research questions. If for example, your aim is to assess how a specific group
of people's perspectives regarding a topic change over time you would likely adopt a
longitudinal time horizon examining the same people's perspectives at multiple points in time.
Another important factor here is that of practical constraints. In other words, whether you have the
time necessary to adopt a longitudinal approach which could involve collecting data over multiple
months, years or even decades. Oftentimes the time pressures of your degree program will force your
hand into adopting a cross-sectional time horizon. So, keep this in mind. Right, on
to the next research design choice. Design choice number five, the sampling
strategy. Next, you will need to discuss your chosen sampling strategy. In other
words, how you decided who to collect data from. There are two main categories of sampling,
probability and non-probability sampling. Probability sampling involves a random and
therefore representative selection of participants from a population. Whereas non-probability
sampling entails selecting participants in a non-randomized and therefore non-representative
manner. For example, a non-probability strategy could involve selecting participants based on ease
of access. This is called a convenience sample. The right sampling approach depends largely on
what you are trying to achieve in your study. Specifically, whether you are trying to develop
findings that are generalizable to a population or not. Practicalities and resource constraints
also play a large role here as it is often quite challenging to gain access to a truly random
sample. Do not stress though. In many cases, a probability sampling strategy is not necessary.
Again it depends largely on your research aims and questions. So, make sure that your choice
here is tightly aligned with your research aims. With your sampling strategy laid out, it is time
to talk about how you will collect your data. Design choice number six, the data collection
method. Next up you will need to explain how exactly you will go about collecting the
necessary data for your study. Your choice of data collection method or methods will depend on the
type of data that you plan to collect. In other words, qualitative, words based or quantitative
numbers-based data. Typically quantitative research relies on surveys, data generated by
lab equipment, analytics software or existing data sets. Qualitative research on the other hand
often makes use of in-person collection methods such as interviews, focus groups and participant
observations. So, as you can see there is a tight link between this section and the design choices
you outlined in earlier sections. So, as always it is important to make sure that you have a strong
alignment between the various design choices. Design choice number seven the analysis
methods and techniques. The final major design choice that you need to address is your
analysis methods and techniques. In other words, once you have collected your data how will you
go about analysing it? Here it is important to be very specific about your analysis method
and or techniques. Do not leave any room for interpretation. Also, as with all choices in
this chapter you need to justify each choice you make. What exactly you discuss here will depend
largely on the type of study you are conducting. For qualitative studies, common analysis methods
include content analysis, thematic analysis and discourse analysis. For quantitative studies,
you will almost always make use of descriptive statistics and in many cases, you will also use
inferential statistical techniques. For example, correlation and regression analysis. In this
section, it is also important to discuss how you prepared your data for analysis and what software
you used if any. For example, quantitative data will often require some initial preparation such
as removing duplicates or incomplete responses and calculating composite measures. As always
remember to clearly state both what you did and why you did it. All right with
these seven core design choices covered, the meat and potatoes of your methodology chapter
are sorted. Now it is time to move on to the next section of the chapter to discuss the limitations
of methodology. Let us go check that out. Section three, the methodological limitations.
With your key research design choices outlined and justified the next step is to discuss
the limitations of your design. Importantly no research design or methodology is perfect
there will always be trade-offs between the ideal design and the design that is practical
and viable given your constraints. Therefore this section of your methodology chapter is where
you will discuss the trade-offs you had to make and why these were justified given the context.
So, what goes into this section? Methodological limitations can vary greatly from study to
study. Ranging from common issues such as time and budget constraints to analysis
method limitations or sampling issues. For example, you may find that you did not manage
to attract enough survey respondents to achieve the desired sample size or that your sample is
skewed heavily towards a certain demographic resulting in reduced representativeness. In
this section, it is important to be critical of the shortcomings of your study. By being
critical you will demonstrate to your marker that you have a strong understanding of research
design. So, do not be shy here. At the same time do not beat your study to death. Outline
your study's methodological limitations. Why these were justified given the context, how
you mitigated their impacts to the best degree possible and how your studies still provide value
despite these limitations. Once you have discussed your limitations you are on the home stretch.
It is time to wrap up the methodology chapter. Section four, the concluding summary. Now that
you have presented your research methodology and discussed the limitations it is time to wrap
up the chapter with a brief concluding summary. In this section, you will want to concisely
summarize the key takeaways from the chapter. There is no need to get into the weeds and repeat
every design choice. A high-level summary will do. Alternatively, you could consider using a figure
to summarize the key design decisions visually. Especially if your university
recommends using a specific model. Importantly this section needs
to be brief a paragraph or two max. It is a summary after all. Also, make sure
that when you write up your concluding summary you only include what you have already discussed
in your chapter. Do not add any new information. And there you have it, the methodology chapter in
a nutshell. To quickly recap, the core structure of your methodology chapter should include the
following. Number one, a brief introduction section. Number two, a detailed discussion
of the seven core research design choices namely the research philosophy, research
type, research strategy, time horizon, sampling strategy, data collection and data
analysis methods. Number three, a discussion of the methodological limitations and number four,
a brief concluding summary. As I have mentioned the exact contents and structure of this chapter
can vary between universities and fields of study. So, be sure to check in with your institution
before you start writing. If possible try to find dissertations or theses from former
students of your specific degree program. This will give you a strong indication
of your university's expectations and the norms in terms of the methodology
chapter and all other chapters. Lastly, remember the golden rule of the methodology chapter,
justify every choice. Make sure that you explain clearly the why for every what and reference
credible methodology textbooks or academic sources to back up your justifications. If you enjoyed
the video hit the like button and leave a comment if you have any questions. Also, be
sure to subscribe to the Grad Coach channel for more research-related content. If you need
a helping hand with your methodology chapter or any other chapter remember to check out our
private coaching service where we work with you on a one-on-one basis, chapter by chapter
to help you craft a winning dissertation or thesis. If that sounds interesting to you
book a free consultation with a friendly coach at gradcoach.com. That is all for this episode
of Grad Coach TV. Until next time, good luck.
