How To Write The Research Methodology Of Your Dissertation?

The methodology is one of the most critical aspects of the dissertation that outlines research philosophy, research strategy, data collection, data analysis, and ethical considerations involved in one's research. The primary purpose of the research method is to describe which method will be used and how the researcher will collect the data. Considering the importance of research methodology, this article will outline the techniques to structure the methodology chapter of your dissertation. The research methodology holds significant importance in the dissertation, and it enhances the validity, reliability, and generalisation of the research.

The methodology section of a research article is not only intended to describe the process and analysis of data collection, but this method also linked the general approach and the research perspective regarding a particular field. Therefore, the method section must be clear and detailed so that another knowledgeable person can get help from the search and reproduce the results. An important thing to make a methodology section effective and appealing for readers is to make it concise. However, in the case of analysis regarding controversial issues, the length of the methodology section may increase. According to experts of a dissertation writing service, the methodology section of a dissertation should be written in the simple past tense.

A good research methodology outlines the procedures and techniques a researcher adopts to evaluate a process and reflects the philosophical approaches behind the particular study. Similarly, the choice of method should be based on the researcher's beliefs and interests. At the same time, other important factors such as epistemological issues must be taken into account when selecting research methods. Finally, besides philosophical evidence and personal beliefs, practical observations influence the researcher's decision about which method to use, including available data or information, available time, and other resources.

Frameworks To Structure Your Methodology Chapter:

There two most commonly used frameworks are:

1. Saunders Research Onion
2. Honeycomb Model for methodology

Throughout the world, the most acceptable framework to draft a methodology section of research is the Saunders research onion. Saunder proposed this methodology framework in 2007, and each layer of the methods represents an important step to draft a methodology section. In this framework, a researcher considers all possibilities at each step and extracts a logical, methodological decision to make a methodology effective. Another popular method to draft a research methodology is the honeycomb method. The Honeycomb method presents the methodology section into six steps. As highlighted above, the research methodology is of paramount importance and, if not carefully selected, increases the chances of the research producing invalid results to a significant extent. The reason behind the use of the honeycomb research method is the interconnectedness and effective mechanism that results in effective results. The following is the selected structure of the research methodology.

 

Steps	Description
Research philosophy	The first layer of Saunder Research onion and the Honeycomb method to describe the nature of reality being investigated includes positivism, interpretivism, realism, pragmatism, constructivism, or objectivism.
Research Approach	The research approach is the second layer of research onion. There are two different research approaches that we commonly use in our methodology. These are deductive and inductive approaches.
Research Strategies	This third layer of research onion of Saunder’s method and tire of honeycomb method deals with the plans to collect and organise data. Archival Research, Ethnography, Action research, Survey, experiment, and case studies are useful research strategies.
Research Choice	The fourth layer of Saunder’s research onion and honeycomb method represents the quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The researcher chose any one of the following methods:  mono method, multi-method or mixed-method.
Time Horizon	An essential feature of Saunder’s research onion is it defines the time period to perform the research task. Thus, the researcher can adopt any one of the two time horizons as per the nature of the research. The two-time horizons are: cross-sectional or longitudinal.
Techniques and Procedures	This last layer of the onion overviews the method of data analysis. And this step is a step of both methods mentioned above.

Apart from all these descriptions, the limitations of the current method used, the scope of the study, and ethical considerations make the methodology section more appealing and valid. Fur. The most common ethical consideration often addressed in some articles is subdivided into primary and secondary sources of data collection. The ethical norms that are given paramount importance in primary data collection involve the rights of privacy and respect of respondents. For secondary data collection, the major ethical concerns involve plagiarism issues, copyright settings, and data validity represented in an article. In short, it can be summarized that the ethical section makes research socially acceptable.

Pro-Tips To Improve Your Methodology:

Incorporation of the following ideas into research methodology can be made it more effective.

1. Description of the research methods previously used.
2. Gives reasons why a method was adopted or rejected.
3. Indicates the use of an established method.
4. Description of the properties of the sample.
5. Indicates the criteria for exclusion or inclusion.
6. Description of the process of identification of purpose further validates a research methodology.
7. Process description should be in passive voice.
8. Process order descriptions should organize the information in a logical flow.
9. Sample collection methods must be random or versatile
10. The process of data analysis should be clearly and critically evaluated.

Final Thoughts:

In the end, we can say that each academic research methodology section offers the opportunity to convince readers that this research is useful and contributes to a particular field. Effective research methods precisely describe researchers' methods based on their overall quantity, quality, and presentation. The methodology chapter explains why you choose a particular approach and research type and then explains how it will answer your research questions. Writing a research methodology can be difficult for many students, especially those with no previous experience. If having trouble with it, a student can get professional help from writing articles for similar methods. However, by following the tips mentioned above, a person with little experience in research writing can also produce a good piece of research work.