How To Write Methodology - A Step-by-Step Guide

26/02/2020 How to Write Methodology | A Step-by-Step Guide
How to write a methodology
Date published 25 February 2019 by Shona McCombes. Date updated: 19 February 2020
In your thesis or dissertation, you will have to discuss the methods you used to undertake
your research. The methodology or methods section explains what you did and how you
did it, allowing readers to evaluate the reliability and validity of your research. It should
include:
 The type of research you did

 How you collected and/or selected your data
 How you analysed your data
 Any tools or materials you used in the research
 Your rationale for choosing these methods
The methodology section should generally be written in the past tense.
 Table of contents
1. Explain your methodological approach

2. Describe your methods of data collection and/or selection
3. Describe your methods of analysis
4. Evaluate and justify your methodological choices
5. Tips for writing a strong methodology
6. Frequently asked questions about methodology
Step 1: Explain your methodological approach

Begin by introducing your overall approach to the research. What problem or question did
you investigate, and what kind of data did you need to answer it?
https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/methodology/ 1/10
Quantitative methods (e.g. surveys) are best for measuring, ranking, categorising,
identifying patterns and making generalisations
Qualitative methods (e.g. interviews) are best for describing, interpreting,
contextualising, and gaining in-depth insight into specific concepts or phenomena
Mixed methods allow for a combination of numerical measurement and in-depth
exploration
Depending on your discipline and approach, you might also begin with a discussion of the
rationale and assumptions underpinning your methodology.
Was your aim to address a practical or a theoretical problem?

Why is this the most suitable approach to answering your research questions?
Is this a standard methodology in your field or does it require justification?
Were there any ethical or philosophical considerations?
What are the criteria for validity and rigorousness in this type of research?
In a quantitative experimental study, you might aim to produce generalisable

knowledge about the causes of a phenomenon. Valid research requires a carefully
designed study with controlled variables that can be replicated by other researchers.
In a qualitative participant observation, you might aim to produce ethnographic

knowledge about the behaviours, social structures and shared beliefs of a specific
group of people. As this methodology is less controlled and more interpretive, you
will need to reflect on your position as researcher, taking into account how your
participation and perception might have influenced the results.
Step 2: Describe your methods of data collection and/or

selection
Once you have introduced your overall methodological approach, you should give full
details of the methods you used to conduct the research. Outline the tools, procedures and
materials you used to gather data, and the criteria you used to select participants or
sources.
Quantitative methods
 Surveys
Describe where, when and how the survey was conducted.
How did you design the questions and what form did they take (e.g. multiple choice,
rating scale)?
How did you find and select participants?
Did you conduct surveys by phone, mail, online or in person, and how long did
participants have to respond?
What was the sample size and response rate?
You might want to include the full questionnaire as an appendix so that your reader can
see exactly what data was collected.
 Experiments
Give full details of the tools, techniques and procedures you used to conduct the
experiment.
How did you design the experiment (e.g. between-subjects or within-subjects)?

What tools or technologies did you use in the experiment?
In experimental research, it is especially important to give enough detail for another

researcher to reproduce your results.
 Existing data
Explain how you gathered and selected material (such as publications or archival data) for
inclusion in your analysis.
Where did you source the material?

How was the data originally produced?
What criteria did you use to select material (e.g. date range)?
Quantitative methods example
The survey consisted of 5 multiple-choice questions and 10 questions that the

respondents had to answer with a 7-point Lickert scale. The aim was to conduct the
survey with 350 customers of Company X on the company premises in The Hague
from 4-8 July 2017 between 11:00 and 15:00. A customer was defined as a person
who had purchased a product from Company X on the day of questioning.
Participants were given 5 minutes to fill in the survey anonymously, and 408
customers responded. Because not all surveys were fully completed, 371 survey
results were included in the analysis.
Qualitative methods
 Interviews or focus groups
Describe where, when and how the interviews were conducted.

How many people took part?
What form did the interviews take (structured, semi-structured, unstructured)?
How long were the interviews and how were they recorded?
 Participant observation
Describe where, when and how you conducted the observation.
What group or community did you observe and how did you gain access to them?
How long did you spend conducting the research and where was it located?
How did you record your data (e.g. audiovisual recordings, note-taking)?
 Existing data
Explain how you selected case study materials (such as texts or images) for the focus of
your analysis.
What type of materials did you analyse?

How did you collect and select them?
Qualitative methods example
In order to gain a better insight into the possibilities for improvement of the product
range, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 returning customers from
the main target group of Company X. A returning customer was defined as someone
who usually bought products at least twice a week from Company X. The surveys
were used to select returning customer participants who belonged to the target
group (20-45 years old). Interviews were conducted in a small office next to the cash
register, and lasted approximately 20 minutes each. Answers were recorded by note-
taking, and seven interviews were also filmed with consent. One interviewee
preferred not to be filmed.
Step 3: Describe your methods of analysis

Next, you should indicate how you processed and analysed the data. Avoid going into too
much detail—you should not start presenting or discussing any of your results at this
stage.
Quantitative methods
In quantitative research, your analysis will be based on numbers. In the methods section
you might include:
How you prepared the data before analysing it (e.g. checking for missing data,
removing outliers, transforming variables)
Which software you used to analyse the data (e.g. SPSS or Stata)
Which statistical methods you used (e.g. regression analysis)
Quantitative methods example
Before analysis the gathered data was prepared. The dataset was checked for
missing data and outliers. For this the “outlier labeling rule” was used. All values
outside the calculated range were considered outliers (Hoaglin & Iglewicz, 1987). The
data was then analysed using statistical software SPSS.
Qualitative methods
In qualitative research, your analysis will be based on language, images and observations.
Methods might include:
Content analysis: coding and categorising themes and ideas

Narrative analysis: looking at storytelling structures and tropes and interpreting their
meaning
Discourse analysis: looking at communication and meaning (including language,
images, and nonverbal interactions) in relation to their social context
Qualitative methods example
The interviews were transcribed and open coded to categorise key themes and
identify patterns. Each theme was analysed to gain a deeper understanding of
participants’ perceptions and motivations.
Step 4: Evaluate and justify your methodological choices

Your methodology should make the case for why you chose these particular methods,
especially if you did not take the most standard approach to your topic. Discuss why other
methods were not suitable for your objectives, and show how this approach contributes
new knowledge or understanding.
You can acknowledge limitations or weaknesses in the approach you chose, but justify why
these were outweighed by the strengths.
Lab-based experiments can’t always accurately simulate real-life situations and

behaviours, but they are effective for testing causal relationships between variables.
Unstructured interviews usually produce results that cannot be generalised beyond

the sample group, but they provide a more in-depth understanding of participants’
perceptions, motivations and emotions.
Tips for writing a strong methodology

Remember that your aim is not just to describe your methods, but to show how and why
you applied them and to demonstrate that your research was rigorously conducted.
Focus on your objectives and research questions

The methodology section should clearly show why your methods suit your objectives and
convince the reader that you chose the best possible approach to answering your problem
statement and research questions. Throughout the section, relate your choices back to the
central purpose of your dissertation.
Cite relevant sources

Your methodology can be strengthened by reference to existing research in the field, either
to:
Confirm that you followed established practices for this type of research
Discuss how you evaluated different methodologies and decided on your approach
Show that you took a novel methodological approach to address a gap in the
literature
Write for your audience
Consider how much information you need to give, and don’t go into unnecessary detail. If
you are using methods that are standard for your discipline, you probably don’t need to
give lots of background or justification. But if you take an approach that is less common in
your field, you might need to explain and justify your methodological choices.
In either case, your methodology should be a clear, well-structured text that makes an
argument for your approach, not just a list of technical details and procedures.
Discuss obstacles
If you encountered difficulties in collecting or analysing data, explain how you dealt with
them. Show how you minimised the impact of any unexpected obstacles. Pre-empt any
major critiques of your approach and demonstrate that you made the research as rigorous
as possible.
Frequently asked questions about methodology
What’s the difference between method and methodology? 
Where does the methodology section go? 
What’s the difference between quantitative and qualitative methods? 
What is sampling? 
Is this article helpful?
287 17
Shona McCombes
Shona has a bachelor's and two master's degrees, so she's an expert at writing a great
thesis. She has also worked as an editor and teacher, working with students at all different
levels to improve their academic writing.
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2 comments
Derek Williams · 17 February 2020 at 14:09
Really useful guide for writing a methodology. Thank you for taking the trouble to
write and post this.
Reply
Deborah · 17 February 2020 at 05:25
This was so good! I was really struggling before but this acc gave me hope. Thanks
Shona! :))
Reply
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26/02/2020 How to Write Methodology | A Step-by-Step Guide

How to write a methodology

 The type of research you did

The methodology section should generally be written in the past tense.

1. Explain your methodological approach

Step 1: Explain your methodological approach

Was your aim to address a practical or a theoretical problem?

In a quantitative experimental study, you might aim to produce generalisable

In a qualitative participant observation, you might aim to produce ethnographic

Step 2: Describe your methods of data collection and/or

How did you design the experiment (e.g. between-subjects or within-subjects)?

In experimental research, it is especially important to give enough detail for another

Where did you source the material?

Quantitative methods example

The survey consisted of 5 multiple-choice questions and 10 questions that the

How did you find and select participants?

What type of materials did you analyse?

Qualitative methods example

Step 3: Describe your methods of analysis

Quantitative methods example

Content analysis: coding and categorising themes and ideas

Qualitative methods example

Step 4: Evaluate and justify your methodological choices

Lab-based experiments can’t always accurately simulate real-life situations and

Unstructured interviews usually produce results that cannot be generalised beyond

Tips for writing a strong methodology

Focus on your objectives and research questions

Cite relevant sources

Write for your audience

Frequently asked questions about methodology

What’s the difference between method and methodology? 

Where does the methodology section go? 

What’s the difference between quantitative and qualitative methods? 

Is this article helpful?

Other students also liked

How to write a dissertation proposal

discuss the implications.

How to write a literature review

Developing the theoretical framework

that guide your research.

Derek Williams · 17 February 2020 at 14:09

Deborah · 17 February 2020 at 05:25

Comment or ask a question.

Choose your service

You might also like