How to Write a Methodology for Dissertation?

When you write a dissertation and then defend it, the methodology is one of the most crucial questions which can help you to succeed. Writing the dissertation methodology is the key part of the whole process, it is worth all the time which you devote to it.

It is not just the simple set of methods which you use & include in your study but the broad philosophical underpinning of every research method which you have chosen. Sounds complicated, isn’t it? Read this article - you’ll find out how to write a methodology right.

Methodology of Your Dissertation: What is It?

The dissertation methodology is a key section of the dissertation which appears after the review of the literature. It describes the data on philosophical principles of methods which you use, their advantages, results which you’ve got using them - in other words, it will explain which techniques of gathering data you used, in which ways & how you conducted your research in general.

What Should You Include in the Methodology?

The methodology of your thesis should be always linked to the literature which explains why you have employed some particular methods. Show the reasonable academic basis of each of your choices. You can make it in two ways:

• If you submit your work in sections one by one, you may talk about what you are planning to do, which of your choices you are planning to handle;
• If you submit the whole thesis, then talk about what you did & explain why you have chosen the methods for each of the parts.

Give a reasonable & clear academic justification of all the approaches. Give the link to the literature. You should describe:

• Context of your investigation, some theoretical basis;
• Participants;
• Algorithms, tools which you were using analyzing the info;
• Procedures, algorithms which you applied to analyze collected data & carry out your study.

How Long Should Dissertation Methodology Be?

It depends mostly on field of your study. Some papers require devoting a whole chapter, in other fields one may make less emphasis on it. Explain your principals & kinds of methods, devoting a few pages to it.

Widely Used Research Methods

You can apply a lot of research practices in your thesis. They vary according to principals of conducting the investigation, the field of study, etc. Study them, choose the most relevant for your investigation, discuss it with your supervisor.

Experimental Research Approaches

The experiment usually involves the practice of manipulating independent quantitative variables which allows generating statistically analyzable data. The results which you can get thanks to experiment will be analyzable in order to test hypotheses. Experiment requires a lot of costs & very detailed design. But it gives an accurate result.

Observational Methods

Observational approaches are ways of collecting data in which researchers only observe a phenomenon & don’t interfere. Authors of papers usually employ observations in anthropology, social sciences, etc., when it is important to watch the behavior of the subject of the study in the natural environment, circumstances.

Surveys, Questionnaires

A survey collects the data from responses to some series of different questions. It may concern opinions, behaviors of the respondents, etc. Surveys are usually conducted in the form of questionnaires. The survey is employed by scientifics very often, it is one of the most popular ways of collecting materials.

Field Research

This type of gathering data is popular among sociologists. They study their subjects using laboratories, offices seldom. They watch people, interact with them, talk to them, study their behaviors in their lives. They go to the crowd. Field research gathers primary statistics from natural environment; it doesn’t refer to some experiments.

Interviews

An interview is a special type of collecting information in the form of one-on-one conversation on a special topic which involves the subject of the study and the researcher. It goes in a form of short answers to particular questions which the interviewer asks. It is an effective way of collecting information in specific interdisciplinary fields, disputable topics.

How To Write A Methodology For Your Thesis?

The methodology which you choose for your research should reflect the purpose, questions of the research & results of previous investigations. It means that the specifics of paper will dictate to you which one you should choose. You may go in these ways:

• If you need to measure some variables, verify hypotheses, theories you should apply quantitative ways of collecting statistics;
• If you need to understand the meaning of some phenomenon, understand the experience, beliefs, ideas, you should practice qualitative ways of collecting info.
• You can also use quantitative & qualitative methods together if you want to go more deeply in some areas of your analysis.

How to Structure Dissertation Methodology

In your dissertation methodology, you have to talk about:

• Collection of the data;
• Analysis of the data.

Collection of the Data

You need to talk about organizing your data collection. You can do it using primary and secondary research. Primary collection involves firsthand information, secondary one involves second-hand data.

The primary information you collect on your own using surveys, interviews, etc. Secondary data involves information from indirect resources (journals, books, statistical reports, newspapers, etc).

Analysis

It is the second step after you get the collected data, you should filter valid relevant information from reliable sources & analyze it.

Tips on Writing a Methodology for Dissertation

1. Recap the problem & the central questions of your dissertation;
2. Explain the main problem which you will study in your paper;
3. Briefly describe your approaches;
4. Give a short review of the relevant literature, find some similarities with your approach;
5. Give the ability to reproduce your results by providing a description of all techniques in details;
6. Try to rationale it, evaluate different approaches, explain the importance of those ones which you have chosen;
7. Give the justification of your approaches;
8. Show the facts of validity and reliability of your sources;
9. Place copies of questionnaires and other handouts in the appendix, give a notification about it;
10. Try to generalize, show how far the obtained statistics can be generalized using your techniques.

Conclusion

The dissertation methodology is a hallmark of a well-written dissertation. It requires a lot of experience, knowledge & time, but using our advice on how to write a dissertation methodology you can cope with it. If you feel unconfident, it is good idea to order it from professionals who can ensure the high quality of the work.