Do you know what dissertation methodology is? This is an important element of thesis writing. You can go without it in your paper. Therefore, you need to develop a good methodology, and our article will help with it.
Dissertation Methodology: What Is It?
Before you can start working on the paper, you need to get more information about the methodology, what it is, and how to cope with this paper section. Let’s first introduce the structure of the thesis so that you can understand what part methodology plays in the paper. So, the thesis, or a dissertation, consists of several basic structural components.
- The abstract is the first one. This is a summary where you should briefly overview the paper.
- The introduction is the next part. This is an obvious section to provide the readers with the topic and reveal some context of the paper. Here you need to tell the readers more about your topic, explain the theme’s choice, and express why your research is valuable for the readers. Don’t forget about the objectives you are going to achieve through the research.
- The literature review is the next step. In this part of the paper, you need to review previously written works that can be related to your topic. Moreover, you need to tell what are the blemishes of the previous research and how you’re going to fill them.
- Methodology. Finally, we come to this part. The methodology focuses on the methods that have been used in the process of researching the information, building hypotheses, and finding arguments.
- In the Results section, you need to report the main findings of your research work.
- The last part is the conclusion. Here you should address the major question and give the final thought about it. You need to have all your questions answered in conclusion.
This is a brief overview of the structure needed to apply to the thesis. This way, you can see which part the methodology plays in the overall text construction.
As you can see, the methodology is an indispensable element of any dissertation project. This is a skeleton of the paper. It serves as the foundation of any research project. By reading the methodology section, the reader can comprehend the methods used in scientific research. Furthermore, the reader can be sure that the methods are relevant and can fully cover the issue.
Why do you have the methodology so close to the literature review? You need to connect these two parts because you can decide on the following research methods by researching and analyzing the literature. In these parts, you should give a relevant and exhaustive answer to the questions posed at the beginning of your paper.
What Is the Best Way To Choose a Methodology for the Thesis?
Before you choose the methodology you need to take into account several important things. First, you should pay attention to the discipline you deal with. The final choice will slowly depend on the area of interest you work with. The second thing is the set of questions you need to answer. This is another important element to take into account when you choose the methodology.
In short, there are two basic types of approaches. These are called quantitative and qualitative methods. You can choose one of them in some cases, and it would be enough for good research practice. In other cases, you will have to combine the approaches to benefit from both of them. Let’s take a closer look at them to see what you should deal with.
Quantitative Method
You can infer from the name of the method that it is used to work with the numerical data. Do you need to work with the figures in your research, make data calculations, or count the information? In this case, you will largely benefit from the method. Such data is helpful when conducting the data for experiments, for example.
What questions should you pose when you work with the quantitative method? Look for the sources and tell how you choose the materials for the research. Did you follow specific time frames? What were the most used tools or techniques for your research? What questions did you ask the respondents? What were these questions? Tell more about the participants of the research and include the surveys.
Qualitative Method
If you deal with non-statistical data, this method is better to use. You don’t have to work with the diagrams, table sheets, or charts. You have to categorize the data to work on the hypothesis. In this case, you will make the most of it. How can you do it? You can organize an interview or work with focus groups.
How should you work on the qualitative method? You need to talk about the observation and the main participants. What about their origin? How long did it take to manage the observation? What methods were used to record the data given by the participants? Tell more about the people from interviews and those participating in focus groups. It will be quite useful for the reader and help evaluate the overall picture.
Methodology Outline: How to Structure the Section?
If you don’t know how to work with the methodology, you need to look up the example. Here you can see the most common example to use in your research.
Aims
In the aims, you need to get back to your topic. Your task is to get a sense of the topic and create the goals. In this section, you’re going to reveal your plan to reach the desired effect. You should also include any information that can be useful for the reader. For example, make sure to include any background information if it is necessary to consider during the research.
Methods
In the methods section, you need to decide on the approach and tell the reader about your choice. How can you choose between the methods? The most helpful advice here is to research the literature. By researching the appropriate materials, you can come up with the decision. You need to read the information and see what methods are usually applied to your area of interest. You don’t need to copy these methods. But reading the additional literature, you can see in what direction you need to move.
Another option is a simple one. If you can’t choose the method, you should consult a professional. This could be your teacher or tutor. If they can’t help you with the final decision or don’t have the authority to take part in your writing process, you can always visit a library. There you will find knowledgeable librarians to help you with the issue.
Data Analysis
This section depends on the methods you use. You should tell in detail how you collected the data and what ways you followed to gather the relevant information. It will depend on the methods you use here. You can also add some info about the techniques used to collect the necessary material.
Difficulties
When conducting the research, you will necessarily meet some sort of difficulties. In the following section, you need to mention these challenges and ways to cope with them. Perhaps, there were some problematic situations with data collection or participants.
Evaluate the Information
This is a conclusive part of the methodology section of your dissertation. What should you focus on here? You need to explain the choice of the approach and give reasonable examples to justify your decision. You should briefly summarize the findings to give the reader a clearer understanding of your decision. But you shouldn’t get into too much detail. This is your task for the Results section.
How To Make Your Writing More Effective?
When working on the methodology, you need to follow the structure and be careful with the data included in the paper. To help you manage the writing, make sure to use the following tips:
- Take a look at the whole paper and try to connect the methodology with other sections. It will make the writing more coherent.
- Plan. You should work on the outline of the section before you start working on it. It will save you a lot of time.
- Know your audience well. If you don’t know the readers, you can fail with the discussion of the major problem. Try to choose the most relevant approach when revealing the information.
These are simple but quite helpful tips you need to use when working on Methodology. They will help you stay true to the paper and reveal the ideas coherently.
Let’s Conclude
Dissertation methodology is an intricate task. If you want to make it successful, you need to work on it carefully. Hours of meticulous research and tips from our guide will help you make up a well-organized thesis section.
What Should I Do if I Need Some Help?
We are a team of professional editors and writers who work 24/7 to help you deal with the complexity of your work. Contact us for essay help right now and get an “A” grade!
