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    Writing The Research Methodology

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    Jovie Erma Aton
    The document discusses research methodology, which is the systematic approach used to answer a research problem through data collection and analysis. It explains that the methodology demonstrates how data was collected and analyzed and provides the underlying reasons for the research methods used. The key components of a research methodology section are outlined, including the research design, participants, data collection and analysis procedures. Common data collection methods like observation, interviews, focus groups, and documentary analysis are also described.

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    Writing The Research Methodology

    Uploaded by

    Jovie Erma Aton
    11 views5 pages
    The document discusses research methodology, which is the systematic approach used to answer a research problem through data collection and analysis. It explains that the methodology demonstrates how data was collected and analyzed and provides the underlying reasons for the research methods used. The key components of a research methodology section are outlined, including the research design, participants, data collection and analysis procedures. Common data collection methods like observation, interviews, focus groups, and documentary analysis are also described.

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    The document discusses research methodology, which is the systematic approach used to answer a research problem through data collection and analysis. It explains that the methodology demonstrates how data was collected and analyzed and provides the underlying reasons for the research methods used. The key components of a research methodology section are outlined, including the research design, participants, data collection and analysis procedures. Common data collection methods like observation, interviews, focus groups, and documentary analysis are also described.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    11 views5 pages

    Writing The Research Methodology

    Uploaded by

    Jovie Erma Aton
    The document discusses research methodology, which is the systematic approach used to answer a research problem through data collection and analysis. It explains that the methodology demonstrates how data was collected and analyzed and provides the underlying reasons for the research methods used. The key components of a research methodology section are outlined, including the research design, participants, data collection and analysis procedures. Common data collection methods like observation, interviews, focus groups, and documentary analysis are also described.

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    Writing the Research Methodology

    Determining the validity of your study is anchored on your research paper’s methodology.

    - A research methodology is both the collection of methods/rules you apply to your research as
    well as the principles, theories, and values that support your research approach (Somekh and
    Lewin (2005)).
    -This must shed light on how you were able to collect/ generate your research data and
    demonstrate how you analyze them (SHU, Library, 2020)
    RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
    – the blueprint of a research/ study (Murthy & Bhojanna 2009, p 32)
    -the systematic method to resolve a research problem through data gathering using various
    techniques, providing an interpretation of data gathered & drawing conclusions about the research
    data
    METHODOLOGY vs. METHODS
    * METHOD – the technique used in gathering evidence
    * METHODOLOGY- the underlying theory & analysis of how research does and on how to
    proceed (Kirsch & Sullivan, 1992); a set of principles & ideas that inform the design of a research
    study (Birks & Mills, 2011)

    Methods cover the technical procedures/steps taken to do the research; methodology


    provides the underlying reasons why certain methods are used in the process.

    In research, there are 2 fundamental methods used for either approach.


    QUANTITATIVE – aims to court things in order to explain what is observed
    - Often used by researchers who follow the scientific paradigm (Haq, 2014,p1)
    - Seeks to quantify data and generalize results from a sample of a target population
    (Macdonald et al., 2008)
    - It follows structural data collection methods and processes with data output in the form of
    numbers.
    - Also observes objective analysis using statistical means.
    QUALITATIVE – geared toward creating a complete and detailed description of your observation
    as a researcher.
    - Offers contextualization and interpretation of the data gathered rather than providing
    predictions and causal explanations.
    - Subjective and requires a smaller number of carefully choses respondents
    MIXED METHODS- combination of Qualitative and Quantitative approaches.
    -Fusing together the quantitative and qualitative methods of research while recognizing the
    limitations of both at the same time
    -mixed methods are also known for the concept of triangulation in social research.

    How to write an effective Methodology Section?


    1. Introduce your methods
    2. Establish methodological connection
    3. Introduce your instruments
    4. Discuss your analysis
    5. Provide background information
    6. Discuss sampling process
    7. Address research limitations
    What to Avoid:
    1. Irrelevant details
    2. Keep your methodology section straightforward and thorough
    3. Basic procedures should only be explained if they are unfamiliar to the readers
    4. Do not ignore the problems you might encounter during the data gathering process.
    Describe how you handled them.
    COMPONENTS of the RESEARCH METHOD SECTION
     Research Design. This section describes the specific research approach you will use in the
    study. This can be ethnography, case study, historical, phenomenological, and the like. The
    research design is dependent on the purpose of the study and the set of specific research
    questions you have formulated.
     Research Locale. This section describes the setting or location of your study. The specific
    description of the setting is very important in research since the setting or context may
    have an effect or impact on the behavior of the respondents.
     Sample or the Respondents. This section describes the respondents of the study. The
    description may include the demographic profile of the respondents such as age,
    educational background, occupation, and other information that may be relevant in
    understanding the (behavior of the) respondents.
     Research Instruments. This section outlines the instruments you will use in the study
    such as interview questions, interview protocols, observation guide, survey form, focus
    group discussion questions, and others.
     Data Collection Procedure. This section describes the specific steps you will undergo in
    order to collect the data for your study. In some types of research, particularly
    ethnographic and case studies, the specific date (and sometimes, exact time) of doing the
    steps (observing the participants) are important. The instruments used to record data (pen
    and paper, audio and/or video recorder) may also be mentioned.
     Data Analysis Procedure. This section describes how you will analyze the data that you
    will gather.

    Data Collection Strategy


    To successfully conduct your research, it is important to plan your data gathering.
    1. Observation – there are research questions that can be answered through observing the
    actions of the participants. For example, you may observe the attitude of a group of
    students toward science experiment during an actual experiment.
    2. Interview- Observation is usually coupled with interview. Interview is done to validate
    the information you have recorded in your observation. This is considered as one of the
    most important data collection strategies in qualitative research. There are four types of
    interview: structured, semi-structured, informal, and retrospective.

    Structured and semi-structured interviews are verbal questionnaires.


    o Structured Interview – the researcher has a specific set of questions designed to
    elicit responses from the participants.
    o Semi-structured Interview- the researcher prepares open-ended questions in which
    the participants are free to write their responses.
    o Informal Interview – done to determine how the participants act on certain
    situations. This is a casual conversation and conducted without specific sequence
    of questions or form of questioning.
    o Retrospective Interview- done to recall and reconstruct something that happened in
    the past.

    TYPES OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS


    1. Background questions – routine questions about the background of the participants.
    These questions include the education, age, previous work and the like.
    2. Knowledge questions – refer to participants’ factual information. For example, asking
    the participants about school information such as school rules or activities.
    3. Experience questions- focused on what the participant is doing presently or in the past.
    For example, “ If I were attending your practices in the gym, what experiences would I
    be likely to see you having?”
    4. Opinion questions – asked to elicit how the participants think on certain topics or
    issues. This aims to get the participant’s values, beliefs, and attitude. For example, “
    What do you think about the implementation of the K-12 curriculum?”
    5. Feeling questions- pertain to the emotional responses of the participants on their
    experience(s). For example, “ How do you feel when you solve a mathematics
    problem?”
    6. Sensory questions- focus on what the respondent has seen, tasted, heard, touched, or
    smelled. For example, “When you enter the room, what did you hear?”

    REMINDERS DURING THE INTERVIEW


    Fraenkel and Wallen (2010) listed a set of expectations during interviews. Some of them
    are:
     Respect the culture of the group being studied.
     Respect the individual being interviewed. Interview should start and end at the scheduled
    time. The respondents agreed to be interviewed spend their time with you so make the
    interview another learning experience both for the interviewer and the interviewee.
     Act naturally.
     Develop rapport with the participant.
     Ask the same question in different ways. This is to ensure the understanding of the
    interviewee on what has been said.
     Ask the interviewee to repeat an answer when there is some doubt.
     Vary who controls the flow of communication.
     Avoid leading questions like “ You really want that?” instead ask, “ What did you really
    want to do?”
     Do not ask dichotomous questions or questions which are answerable by yes or no like “
    Did you really aim to be a valedictorian?”.
     Ask questions only one at a time.
     Do not interrupt when the interviewee is talking.

    3. Focus Group Discussion – In this technique, you ask a small group of people what they
    think about certain topic or issue. They are seated together and can hear what the others
    have to say on the issue. This kind of interview can provide multiple perspectives at a
    time.
    4. Documentary Analysis- Fraenkel and Wallen (2010) defined content analysis as a
    technique to study human behavior indirectly by analyzing documents. These documents
    may include books, journals, magazines, art works, songs, pictures, and others. Through
    these, you can analyze the people’s beliefs, attitude, ideas, and values. In content analysis,
    you need to code or categorize what you have gathered from the available documents.
    This will help you obtain common themes or constructs for analysis.
    -

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