Research method vs methodology

Research can use the scientific method, but need not do so. This research provides scientific information and theories for the explanation of the nature and the properties of the world around us. Methodology is defined as the analysis of the principles of methods, rules, and postulates employed by a discipline. Methodology refers to more than a simple set of methods, rather it refers to the rationale and the philosophical assumptions that underlie a particular study. Usage for methodology does not refer to research or to the specific analysis techniques. research method refers to a process of creating a random sequence of steps to solve a particular problem. methodology refers to a process of acquiring solutions by means of a proven method in which selected cases are considered. if i may choose between them, i would choose either, it relies more about the appropriate usage. Methodology refers to more than a simple set of methods; rather it refers to the rationale and the philosophical assumptions that underlie a particular study.

Research Proposal
A research proposal is similar in a number of ways to a project proposal; however, a research proposal addresses a particular project: academic or scientific research. The forms and procedures for such research are well defined by the field of study, so guidelines for research proposals are generally more exacting than less formal project proposals. Research proposals contain extensive literature reviews and must offer convincing support of need for the research study being proposed. Doctoral dissertations begin with research proposal; the proposal must be accepted by a panel of experts (usually professors) before the actual research can begin. In addition to providing rationale for the proposed research, the proposal must described a detailed methodology for conducting the research--a methodology consistent with requirements of the professional or academic field. The links below offer explanations and examples of research proposals.

Guidelines to Writing a Research Proposal (DPhil only)

All Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) students must write an acceptable research proposal. This has a clear and explicit purpose:

It makes certain that you have a worthwhile research project - you have a good grasp of the relevant literature and the major issues, and that your methodology is sound. It will show that you have the competence and work-plan to complete the research. It includes sufficient information for us to evaluate the proposed study. We can be certain we have the right staff expertise to supervise you.

All research proposals must address the question of what you plan to accomplish and why you want to and how you are going to do it.

A research proposal is usually around 1500 words long although there is no upper or lower limit to this. In preparing a research proposal, the first thing that you have to do is to decide what it really is that you want to know more about. The questions that you want to research have to viable as a research project and lead to the creation of new knowledge and understanding. Your research proposal should include a section on each of the following areas:
Title

This should be concise and descriptive.

Background and Rationale

This section needs to explain the background and issues of your proposed research - how you came to be interested in this subject. You can summarise what you know of the existing literature in this area, perhaps identifying where it does and does not provide enlightenment on what you are interested in. Most importantly, you must make a convincing case as to why your research would create valuable and useful knowledge.
Research Questions

Here you need to formulate your research questions clearly. You should have an answerable question that is clear and sufficiently well defined/focussed for you to do the research implied within an appropriate time frame.
Theoretical Framework / Methodology

In this section you need to clarify what theoretical resources you will be drawing on and why. You should demonstrate your knowledge of the research problem and your understanding of the theoretical and research issues related to your research question and their relevance and usefulness to your particular project. Give consideration to the larger issues within your chosen theoretical framework and how they will affect the research process. Give credit to those who have laid the groundwork for your research.
Methods

This section is very important as it informs the admissions committee how you plan to tackle your research problem. It is your work plan and describes the activities necessary for the completion of your project and should consist of a description of how you intend to go about the research. You could demonstrate your knowledge of alternative methods and make the case that your approach is the most appropriate and most valid way to address your research question. Explain about the data you will collect; how you will collect it and

how your will analyse it. Explain what skills you will need and whether you have them or how you will acquire them. You need to think about practical issues: if you are intending to undertake fieldwork, where and for how long? Consider questions of access, for instance, will organisations etc. where you intend to undertake fieldwork wish to give you access (physical, time, documents) to what you need?
Ethical Considerations

You will need to give consideration to issues of power and confidentiality. You should read any appropriate ethical guidelines and ask yourself how/whether you project follows these. [All research students at Oxford University are required (before they commence fieldwork) to complete the Central University Research Ethics Committee (CUREC) checklist and obtain permission to undertake any fieldwork].
Time Scales

It is important that you map out a reasonable schedule of your work so that you can monitor your own progress and manage your project effectively. Start with your intended finishing date and do not underestimate the amount of time that it takes to finalise your drafts into a finished product.
Dissemination

A key indicator of the work of much research is whether it is of publishable quality. You might like to give some consideration at this stage as to what sorts of things might be publishable and where you would like them to appear. This is especially important if you wish to pursue a career as an academic in a UK university. When you have completed all of this then get other people, your peers as well as those more experienced than you, to read it and comment. This will hep you to revise the proposal before you submit it. You can also make contact with departmental staff whose research interests are in a similar area to those you intend to undertake. They would be happy to give you advice and to discuss possible supervision.

Give a research proposal format for a specific research problem

1 2 Title of Project: Give your project a working title, which may or may not become the title of your paper Statement of purpose: Explain what you hope your research will find or show. State your question or series of questions before you begin your research. After you have conducted significant research you should be able to answer your question(s) in one or two sentences, which may become the thesis of the final paper. Background: Explain your interest in and experience with this topic. Describe any previous research you have conducted on this or related topics, any classes you have taken on this or related topics, or any reading you have already done in the field. If you have personal experience that has led you to want to do more research, describe that here too. Significance: Explain why this topic is worth considering, or this question or series of questions is worth answering. Answer the following questions: why should your instructor let you select this topic? what do you hope to learn from it? what will this new knowledge add to the field of knowledge that already exists on this topic? what new perspective will you bring to the topic? what use might your final research paper have for others in this field or in the general public? who might you decide to share your findings with once the project is complete? Description: Describe the kind of research you will conduct to complete this project (library research, internet research, interviews, observations, ethnographies, etc.) Methodology: Explain how you will conduct your research in as much detail as possible. If you will consult others (such as a statistician, an ethnographer, or a librarian) explain what role they will serve and how you hope they will enhance your development of an appropriate methodology for this project. Discuss the kinds of sources you hope to consult and the methods you will use to extract and process the information you gather in as much detail as is possible at this stage. (As the project is underway you might find the need to revise your methodology, explore new types of source material, and/or adopt new methods of gathering and processing data. If this happens, revise this section of the proposal.)

Problems: Describe the problems you expect to encounter and how you hope to solve them. For example, texts might be unavailable, necessitating travel to other libraries or use of inter-library loan facilities; people you had hoped to interview might be unavailable or unwilling to participate, necessitating that you select other interviewees or change the focus; internet sites might be down or no longer available, etc. (Try to imagine every possible problem so that you have contingency plans and the project doesn't become derailed.) Bibliography: Make a list of texts you plan to consult. If you are writing a librarybased research paper you should aim to make a list of at least 30 potential sources (40 is better), which you will then narrow down as you conduct the research. Many sources initially seem relevant, but turn out not to be, so it is always better to list all sources that might be of interest. As you eliminate sources, cross them off of this list. Mark sources that are particularly useful, and add new sources as you come across them. This will enable you to make a Works Cited list at the end of your project (i.e.: a list of only the works you have summarized, paraphrased, or quoted from in the paper.)