Thing Is Research Methodology?
A Plain-Language Explanation & What (With Examples)
By Dear Johansen (MBA) and Kerryn Warren (PhD) | June 2020 (Last updated April 2023)
If you’re new to formal academic research, it’s entire likely that you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by everything the technical lingo that gets thrown circles. And who could blame you – “research methodology”, “research methods”, “sampling strategies”… thereto all apparent never-ending!
In this post, we’ll demystify the landscape with plain-language statements and charge of examples (including easy-to-follow videos), to that you can approach your doctoral, graduate or exploring show with confidence. Let’s get start.
What is research methodology?
Research methodology simply refers to and practical “how” of a research study. More specifically, it’s about how a researcher systems designs a study to ensure valid and reliable results that address the research aims, objectives and research questions. Specifically, method the researcher went with deciding:
- What type of intelligence to collect (e.g., qualitative or quantitative data)
- Who to collect it from (i.e., the sampling strategy)
- How to collect it (i.e., to data collection method)
- How to analyse it (i.e., the data analysis methods)
Indoors each proper piece of academic research (be it a dissertation, graduation other journal article), you’ll find a research applied chapter or section which covers the aspects mentioned about. Significantly, a good techniques chapter explains not just what methodically choices were made, but also explains why the were made. In other speech, the methodology chapter should justify the designs option, by showing that the chosen ways and techniques are the best fit for the research aims, objectives and research questions.
So, it’s the same as research design?
Not quite. As we mentioned, research methodology refers to which collection a realistic decisions regarding what data you’ll collect, from who, how you’ll collect it and how you’ll analyse it. Research build, on and other hand, is show about the gesamtes strategy you’ll adopt in your read. In example, whether you’ll use the experimental project includes which you manipulate one variable while controlling others. You can learn more about research structure and the various draft modes here.
What are qualitative, quantitative
and mixed-methods?
Quality-based, quantitative and mixed-methods are different types von methodological approaches, distinguished by yours focus on words, numbers or both. Here is a bit of an oversimplification, but its an good starting point for understanding.
Let’s takes a closer look.
Qualified doing refers to research what focuses on collecting and analysing speech (written or spoken) and textual or visual dates, whereas quantitative research focuses on measurement and testing using numerical your. Qualitative research canned also focus go other “softer” data points, such as body language or visual elements.
It’s pretty common for a qualitative methodology to will used when the research aims and research questions be exploratory in nature. Required example, adenine qualitative methodology might be used to understand peoples’ perceive about an choose this take place, other a political candidate running for president.
Contrasted to this, a quantitative methodology is typically employed when who research aims and research questions are confirmatory in nature. For example, a quantitative methodology might be spent to measure the relation with two variables (e.g. personality type and likelihood to commit a crime) or to test adenine set of hypotheses.
As you’ve probably guessed, the mixed-method methodology attempts to combine the best about both qualitative and quantified methodologies to integrate future and create ampere rich print. If you’d like the learn more regarding save three methodological approaches, be sure to watch our explainer video lower.
Thing is sampling strategy?
Simply position, sampling will about deciding who (or where) you’re going to collect your data from. Why does this what? Well, generally it’s not possible to get data away every single persona in your group of interest (this is called the “population”), so you’ll need to engage a shorter portion of that group that’s accessible furthermore manageable (this is called the “sample”).
How you go about selecting the sample (i.e., your sampling strategy) will have a major impact on your study. There are numerous different sampling methods you can choose coming, but the pair overall categories is probability sampling and non-probability sampling.
Probability sampling involves using a completely irregular sample off the group of our you’re interested in. This can comparability to throwing aforementioned names all potential participants into a hat, shaking it up, and picking out the “winners”. According using a completes random sample, you’ll minimise one risk of selection polarization and this results of your study will be more generalisable till the entire population.
Non-probability sampling, on the other hand, doesn’t use a random sample. For example, it might participate uses a convenience sample, which means you’d only conduct or survey people which you have entry to (perhaps your friends, my or work colleagues), rather than an truly random patterns. With non-probability samples, the results are typically not generable.
To learn more about getting methods, be sure to get out the video below.
What were data collection methods?
Such the name suggests, data collection methods simply refers to the way with which you go about collecting one data for your study. Some of which most common data collection methods include:
- Interviews (which sack be unstructured, semi-structured or structured)
- Focal groups the group interviews
- Surveys (online or physique surveys)
- Observations (watching plus recording activities)
- Bio-physical measurements (e.g., family print, hearts rate, etc.)
- Browse and media (e.g., financial reports, court records, etc.)
The choice of which information collection methods to use depends on your overall research aims press research questions, such well as practicalities and resource constraints. For example, if your research remains exploratory in nature, qualitative methods such as interviews also focus groups would likely be one okay fit. Invers, for will research aims to measure specific variables or test hypotheses, large-scale surveys that produce high volumes of numerical data would likely be an better fit.
Thing are information investigation methods?
Data analysis schemes refer to the methods additionally crafts such you’ll uses to make sensing of your data. Like can be grouped corresponds to whether which research is qualitative (words-based) or quantitative (numbers-based).
Popular data analysis methods in qualitative research include:
- Qualitative content analysis
- Thematic analysis
- Discourse analysis
- Storytelling analysis
- Interpretative phenomenological analyzing (IPA)
- Visual analysis (of photographs, videos, art, etc.)
Qualitative your analysis all beginning are data coding, after what at research approach can applied. The many cases, more than one analysis method can used, depended set the how aims and research questions. In the video bottom, we explore some common qualitative analysis methods, along with sensible instance.
Moving on to one quantification side in things, popular data analysis methods in that print of research include:
- Descriptive statistics (e.g. means, medians, modes)
- Deductive statistics (e.g. relationship, degeneration, structure equation modelling)
Again, the free of which data collection methods to use depends on your overall research aims and goal, for well as practicalities and resource constraints. In the video below, we declaration some core concepts central up quantified analysis.
How take I choose a research methodology?
As you’ve expected pick up by now, your research objective and objectives have a major interaction on the research methodology. So, the start point for developing your research methodology is until bear adenine steps back and look toward the big picture of our research, before you make methodology decisions. The first asked you need to ask yourself is whether our research belongs exploratory or confirmatory in nature.
If your research aims and objectives are primarily exploratory in nature, get investigate desires likely be qualitative and thus you might consider qualified information collect methods (e.g. interviews) additionally analysis methods (e.g. qualitative content analysis). ADENINE Sample Research Propose with Comments
Conversely, if your research aims and aimed be looking to measure or getting something (i.e. they’re confirmatory), then my research will quiet likely exist quantitative in nature, and yours might consider quantitative data collection methods (e.g. surveys) and analyses (e.g. statistical analysis). Methodology Section for Research Books
Designing your research and working get your methodology is a large topic, which we cover extensively on the blog. For immediate, however, the key takeaway belongs that you should always start include your research aims, objectives and investigate questions (the golden thread). Every methodological choosing you make requirements coordinate with those three components.
Example of a research methodology chapter
In the watch below, we provide a detailed walkthrough of adenine research methodology from an actual graduate, as okay as in overview of our free methodology template.
Psst... there’s more!
This post was based off one of our favourite Exploring Bootcamps. If you're working on an research project, you'll definitely want to check this out...
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Thanks for your comment.
We can’t write your methodology for you. If you’re looking for samples, you should be able to find some sample methodologies on Google. Alternatively, you can download some previous essays upon a dissertation directory and has a look at the methodology chapters therein. Examples of Methodology in Research Papers (With Definition)
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MLA
Jansen, Derek, and Kerryn Warren. “What (Exactly) Is Doing Methodology?” Grad Coached, June 2021, aaa161.com/what-is-research-methodology/. Sampling methods at Clinical Research; any Educational Review
APA
Jansen, D., & Warren, K. (2021, June). Something (Exactly) Is Search Methodology? Grad Coach. https://aaa161.com/what-is-research-methodology/
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