content methodology chapter thesis

A key part of your dissertation or thesis is the methodology. This is not quite the same as ‘methods’. The methodology describes the broad philosophical underpinning to your chosen research methods, including whether you are using qualitative or quantitative methods, or a mixture of both, and why. You should be clear about the academic basis for all the choices of research methods that you have made. 'I was interested' or 'I thought.' is not enough; there must be good academic reasons for your choice. What to Include in your Methodology If you are submitting your dissertation in sections, with the methodology submitted before you actually undertake the research, you should use this section to set out exactly what you plan to do. The methodology should be linked back to the literature to explain why you are using certain methods, and the academic basis of your choice. If you are submitting as a single thesis, then the Methodology should explain what you did, with any refinements that you made as your work progressed. Again, it should have a clear academic justification of all the choices that you made and be linked back to the literature. Common Research Methods for the Social Sciences There are numerous research methods that can be used when researching scientific subjects, you should discuss which are the most appropriate for your research with your supervisor. The following research methods are commonly used in social science, involving human subjects: Interviews One of the most flexible and widely used methods for gaining qualitative information about people’s experiences, views and feelings is the interview.  An interview can be thought of as a guided conversation between a researcher (you) and somebody from whom you wish to learn something (often referred to as the ‘informant’).  The level of structure in an interview can vary, but most commonly interviewers.
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.
I. Groups of Research Methods There are two main groups of research methods in the social sciences: The empirical-analytical group approaches the study of social sciences in a similar manner that researchers study the natural sciences. This type of research focuses on objective knowledge, research questions that can be answered yes or no, and operational definitions of variables to be measured. The empirical-analytical group employs deductive reasoning that uses existing theory as a foundation for formulating hypotheses that need to be tested. This approach is focused on explanation. The interpretative group of methods is focused on understanding phenomenon in a comprehensive, holistic way. Interpretive methods focus on analytically disclosing the meaning-making practices of human subjects [the why, how, or by what means people do what they do], while showing how those practices arrange so that it can be used to generate observable outcomes. Interpretive methods allow you to recognize your connection to the phenomena under study but, because the interpretative group focuses more on subjective knowledge, it requires careful interpretation of variables. II. Content An effectively written methodology section should: Introduce the overall methodological approach for investigating your research problem. Is your study qualitative or quantitative or a combination of both (mixed method)? Are you going to take a special approach, such as action research, or a more neutral stance? Indicate how the approach fits the overall research design. Your methods should have a clear connection with your research problem. In other words, make sure that your methods will actually address the problem. One of the most common deficiencies found in research papers is that the proposed methodology is not suitable to achieving the stated objective of your paper. Describe the specific methods of.
Please find references for my online lecture here below. You might also want to try out the postgraduate research guide.