Research is part of any advanced degree course in colleges and universities. Each research requires students to derive methods with which to complete their study and provide a conclusive answer to their query. The following blog will introduce you to what research methodology entails and give you vital details to keep you well-versed with the topic.
FAQs: Research Methodology
In simple terms, research methodology refers to the path through which a student conducts their study about a particular subject. It involves specific procedures and techniques used to identify, select, analyse, and process relevant information about a topic within their discipline. Every research paper must include a methodological section that allows the reader to evaluate a study’s validity and reliability. This section must provide all details of how data of the research was collected and how it was analysed.
Some students find these terms confusing, which means that you need to read carefully and understand them as they mean two completely different things.
- Research Methods
This term refers to procedures, steps, schemes, and algorithms used in research. They are planned or scientific and provide neutral value, and they include observations, experiments and statistics.
- Research Methodology
This is a systematic way of solving a problem. Research methodology indicates the procedures with which a researcher goes about their study. Its main goal is to give the entire work plan of the investigation.
The straightforward answer is yes. For instance, taking the qualitative research methodology and using the observation or interview methods on your study will help you collect detailed information. Still, it takes quite some time to accomplish. On the other hand, quantitative research methodology through surveys will help you collect quick data but will lack vital information. As such, you need to consider the time you have and date you need and find a balance between the two.
The answer to this question lies entirely on the goal of your research. Think about the subject you want to study and the kind of data you want to collect. For instance, if you want to know what makes people happy, you may use qualitative data which you can gain by making observations, conducting interviews, and running experiments. On the other hand, if you want to know how much recycling is done in your campus, you may use secondary data analysis, focus groups, and surveys.
Also, if you want to know how many people are happy or how many students like to recycle, mixing both methods will be the best approach to gather all the necessary data.
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Definition: Research Methodology
A research methodology is a section in your research where you provide details of the actions you have taken to conduct your investigation. This section includes procedures, techniques, processes, and analysis used to understand and evaluate the information. This section allows the reader to critically assess the overall validity and reliability of your entire research.
Ideally, the information you provide in this section should be direct, precise and written in the past tense.
The Types Of Research Methodology
There are mainly two types of research methodologies, and these include qualitative and quantitative.
Qualitative
This methodology involves gathering data about emotions, behaviour, experiences, and the meaning people attach to each of those aspects. Qualitative research enables students to gain a better understanding of social interaction, cultural phenomena and complex concepts about people. This type of research helps students explore why and how events have occurred, and it also enables them to describe actions and interpret them.
Quantitative
This research methodology assists researchers in gathering numerical data that can be measured, ranked, and categorised through statistical studies. It uncovers patterns and generalisation of a particular topic. Quantitative research is particularly important in finding out how much, how many, how often, and to what extent a phenomenon occurs.
The two methods can also be combined to find both qualitative and quantitative data to provide a holistic approach towards a particular subject. Using both methods in your research also helps you triangulate and verify data from more than one source.
How To Write A Research Methodology?
A research methodology is written in steps. Each step must contain relevant details. These steps are:
1. Step: The chosen methodology
To begin with, you need to introduce your overall approach to your study. You ought to explain the research issue or question you investigated. Consequently, you have to provide details of the type of data you needed to achieve information on your quest. For this step, you need to indicate and explain:
- The type of methodology you used (qualitative or quantitative)
- The type of data you used (primary or secondary data)
- How you gathered experimental data (did you control or manipulate variables or did you gain descriptive data by gathering observations without intervening)
2. Step: The data collection
After introducing and explaining your methodological approach, your next step is to give details of the methods you used to collect your data.
You ought to tell the readers where and when you conducted your research. You also need to explain what parameters you used to ensure the relative objectivity of your results. For instance, if you held a survey, tell the reader where you conducted it, what questions and methods you used, as well as the number of surveys you distributed. You should also describe the duration your respondents took to complete the survey.
Ideally, you need to include enough details so that your reader can replicate your methods.
3. Step: The analysis
In this section, you need to explain how you processed and analysed the data. If you used quantitative methods, your analysis should be based on numbers. If you used qualitative methods, on the other hand, your report should be based on observations, images, and language.
4. Step: Justification of your methodological choice
Explain to the reader why you chose the methodology and methods you chose. This section should contain reasons why you chose that direction and show how your choice has contributed to your results, mainly if you did not choose a standard approach. You should also discuss why other methods were not suitable.
Tips for Writing a Research Methodology
For your research methodology to be successful, you need to impress your tutor and readers. Here are a few tips on how you can do that.
A research methodology is a vital aspect of any study, and as a student, you need to be well-versed with this section if you are to provide excellent results. Follow the above instructions and implement the tips to come up with an excellent paper.
