Research Methodology Chapter

Research Methodology Chapter Home

Writing the research methodology chapter of a thesis or dissertation, after completing the
literature review chapter). can be tricky. The purpose of this chapter is to let the readers know
that the results are accurate and that you have considered all of the potential variables. In fact,
the chapter regarding methodology differentiates a research from a non-research document. The
services from Dissertation India ensure that your Research Methodology justifies the most
appropriate research design for apprehending the research problem, the means used for data
collection and the techniques used for data analysis.
As explained by Lee and Lings (2008), this section provides a link between the research problem
and the methods selected to analyse the problem. The Methodology section is primarily divided
into two parts. While the first part comprises of the type of data used and the research method
used, the second part includes an in depth analysis of the data collected. The methodology
concludes with a brief note on the research ethics and accuracy of the research.
The layout of your research methodology chapter should include an overview of your
approach, followed by the methods you will adopt to collect and analyse data. You must
understand that the term methodology is much more comprehensive than just methods, and
includes the entire approach you adopt towards your research. This can certainly be difficult to
compile; but it is absolutely critical when you want others to accept the validity of your work.
For a better compilation, you should get references and consult experts wherever necessary.
The way you collect your data reflects in the research methodology chapter. It can be primary or
secondary data, depending on whether you collect data yourself or use information published
elsewhere. The way the data has been analysed must also be explained. Details regarding size
and nature of the sample selected must also be included. The approach adopted by you depends
on which type of research you intend to do, qualitative or quantitative. It is considered best to
combine the two methods, to prove complete validity and reliability of your results.
When you work with us, we will suggest the most suitable approach for research. The precise
tools to be taken up are also given by us, and their working explained in detail, as we have
expertise in different kinds of tools. Our guides with prepare for you a research questionnaire
that will help you in collection of data easily and in a time bound manner.
You need to be clear, as well as, concise for readers to understand that you were thorough and
left no gaps and errors in your experiment or research. At the same time, you need to ensure that
you are not providing so much detail that someone picking up the journal can immediately
recreate your entire research. Maintaining this balance can be tough as there is a very thin line
that lies between insufficient data and providing what is more than necessary.
Unfortunately for some, all of the research conducted is highly valid, and it is the actual act of

writing out the methodology that gets flawed along the way. This happens because you have
collected all the data and dealt with the information so closely. After having analysed it in many
different ways, you may not be the best judge of how much of the methodology needs to be
explained and in what manner. Or in some cases, the information might be just too much to
assimilate and explain with clarity.
One way that you can use to ensure that the methodology you have adopted for analysis of data
will give the desired result, is by conducting a pilot study. This means that you test your results
on a targeted population, as you are venturing on a previously unknown path. So exploring the
possible outcome will give you a fair idea of the way the research is going to progress. As your
guides in the process of doing a dissertation, we prepare for you the best possible framework of
research methodology. We also design an appropriate questionnaire with which your pilot study
can be successfully completed.
If you are worried that you are not going to be able to properly explain your methodology or
prove that you have covered every potential variable and ensured that your work is sound, you
may benefit from hiring a professional to write your research methodology chapter or to help you
do so. Writing experts can ensure that your entire hard work and efforts do not go to waste or
underappreciated due to flaws in the writing process.
When your methodology and results are sound, you need to ensure that you convey this in the
best way possible. It is not just you who needs to understand the research methodology, but more
importantly, it is your evaluator. The finest dissertations are capable of changing the way we look
at aspects of the world, and knowing that your methodology is proven sound can make this easier
to accomplish.

WRITING CHAPTER 3: THE

METHODOLOGY
Our consultants are skilled in both quantitative and qualitative methods and can
assist students choose and defend an appropriate research design.
The purpose of the methodology chapter is to give an experienced investigator enough
information to replicate the study. Some advisors do not understand this and require students to
write what is, in effect, a textbook. A research design is used to structure the research and to
show how all of the major parts of the research project, including the sample, measures, and
methods of assignment, work together to address the central research questions in the study. The
chapter should begin with a paragraph reiterating the purpose of the study. The following
subjects may or may not be in the order required by a particular institution of higher education,
but all of the subjects constitute a defensible methodology chapter.
Appropriateness of the Research Design

This section is optional in some institutions, but required by others. Specify that the research for
the dissertation is experimental, quasi-experimental, correlational, causal-comparative,
quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, or another design. Be specific. The designated approach
should be defended by contrasting and comparing it with alternate methods and rejecting those
that do not meet the
needs of the study. This section should not be a textbook description of various research designs,
but a
focused effort to match a rational research design with the purpose of the study.
Research Design
A qualitative study does not have variables. A scientific study has variable, which are sometimes
mentioned in Chapter 1 and defined in more depth in Chapter 3. Spell out the independent and
dependent, variables. An unfortunate trend in some institutions is to repeat the research
questions and/or hypotheses in both Chapter 1 and Chapter 3, a needless redundancy. Sometimes
an operational statement of the research hypotheses in null form is given to set the stage for later
statistical inferences. In a quantitative study, state the level of significance that will be used to
accept or reject the hypotheses.
Pilot Study
In a quantitative study, a survey instrument that is researcher designed needs a pilot study to
validate the effectiveness of the instrument, and the value of the questions to elicit the right
information to answer the primary research questions in. In a scientific study, a pilot study may
precede the main observation to correct any problems with the instrumentation or other elements
in the data collection technique. Describe the pilot study as it relates to the research design,
development of the instrument, data collection procedures, or characteristics of the sample.
Setting and Participants
In a quantitative study, describe the geographic location where the study will take place, cite
recognizable landmarks such as a nearby urban city. Describe the participant pool.
In a qualitative study, the decision regarding the number of participants in a study becomes a
reflection the studys purpose. Ten to twelve participants may prove sufficient in qualitative
inquiries involving the understanding of experiences and perceptions of participants. A
successful purposeful sample in a phenomenological study could range from 1 to 40. Sample size
is based on the total number of potential participants. The required sample size should be
determined through a power analysis. Such an analysis uses the alpha level and the population
effect size (the estimated effect of the independent variable within the target population) to
estimate the number of participants needed to demonstrate an existing effect. Typically,
researchers strive for a power of .80, which refers to an 80% certainty that an existing effect will
be found in the sample. The effect is the difference in perceived effectiveness between mediums.
Instrumentation

In a qualitative study, the instrument used to collect data may be created by the researcher or
based on an existing instrument. If the instrument is researcher created, the process used to
select the questions should be described and justified. If an existing instrument is used, the
background of the instrument is described including who originated it and what measures were
used to validate it. If a Likert scale is used, the scale should be described. If the study involves
interviews, an interview protocol should be developed that will result in a consistent process of
data collection across all interviews. Two types of questions are found in an interview protocol:
the primary research questions, which are not asked of the participants, and the interview
questions that are based on the primary research questions and are asked of the participants.
Instruments should be placed in an appendix, not in the body of the text. Most qualitative studies
include both a demographic survey to develop a picture of the participants, and an interview
protocol. If the instrument is researcher created, a pilot study should be conducted to test the
instrument.
In a scientific study, the instrumentation used to collect data is described in detail, which may
include an illustration of the setup.
Procedure
Fully describe how the data were collected. In a qualitative study, this is the section where most
of the appendices are itemized, starting with letters of permission to conduct the study and letters
of invitation to participate with attached consent forms. This is also the place where any study
involving human subjects must state that it is compliant with the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services Code of Federal Regulations, 45 CFR 46.102(2009). A paragraph must be
inserted that states the study is deemed to be one of minimal risk to participants and that the
probability and magnitude of harm or discomfort anticipated in the research will not be greater
than any ordinarily encountered in daily life, or during the performance of routine physical or
psychological examinations or tests. In a quantitative study, this section will detail when and how
the data were collected.
Data Processing and Analysis
In both qualitative and quantitative studies, the precise method of how the data were processed
and then analyzed is described. Increasingly, in qualitative studies, data collection and analysis is
accomplished by using any one of several data collection and analysis tools available on the
Internet such as SurveyMonkey. Internet services are fast and accurate, and produce data that
can be quickly incorporated in Chapter 4.
Ethical Considerations
In a qualitative study, the procedures for the protection of human participants should be stated.
This section is nearly identical in all qualitative studies, which makes it subject to identification
as plagiarism when submitted to a mechanical plagiarism tool. Ethical concerns are important,
particularly in reference to planning, conducting, and evaluating research. The study should
present minimal risk to participants pertaining to experimental treatment or exposure to physical
or psychological harm. Care should be taken to ensure that the participants fully understood the

nature of the study and the fact that participation is voluntary. A statement should be made that
confidentiality of recovered data will be maintained at all times, and identification of participants
will not be available during or after the study.
Internal and External Validity
Validity is the criteria for how effective the design is in employing methods of measurement that
will capture the data to address the research questions. There are two types of validity: internal,
and external. Internal validity in quantitative studies refers to the studys ability to determine
cause and effect.
Internal validity is a confirmation of the correctness of the study design. Internal validity can be
assured in both qualitative and quantitative studies with pilot testing of the proposed survey
instrumentation to assure that the instrument is clear and unambiguous. Pilot testing of
instruments is a procedure to enable the researcher to make modifications to an instrument based
on results.
External validityis the extent to which the results of the study can reflect similar outcomes
elsewhere, and can be generalized to other populations or situations. Regardless of whether a
self-designed or validated instrument is used to collect data, or whether it is a qualitative or
quantitative study, how validity will be assured must be stated. How the study is conducted and
reported is illustrative of the validity and reliability and should align with the theoretical
framework in Chapter 1. Triangulation of the results enhances the validity of findings.
Triangulation validates the methodology by an examination of the results from several
perspectives
Summary
Summarize the research design and prepare the reader for the next chapter.