Although conducting research for any academic task is a crucial step to follow, it becomes necessary when it comes to the thesis. It has a separate and well-defined section for the methodologies. So, there are various methods that you can use to conduct your research, but you have to select the most appropriate one that is appropriate for your topic or subject. It is something with which students struggle and seek thesis help from professionals. So, let us move ahead and talk about this section first:
What Is the Thesis Methodology Section?
The research methodology section of a thesis paper is where you have to explain the "how" of any specific piece of research. In other words, it is where you need to define how you have systematically designed the study to ensure reliable and valid results that justify the aim and objectives of the research.
What data do you have to collect, and what information you should ignore?
Who to collect this information from?
How to collect this data?
How to analyse the information collected?
The methodology chapter in a thesis should support the design decisions by demonstrating that the methodologies and approaches selected are the most appropriate for achieving the goals and purposes of the research and will yield accurate and trustworthy results. A strong research technique produces conclusions supported by science, whereas a weak methodology does not.
Types of Methods Used
There are various decisions that the researcher has to make while working on a thesis, but the most crucial of all is to select the type of method to use for conducting the research. Here are the methodologies that can be used:
Qualitative Method
This research method involves collecting and analysing of written or spoken words or data. This method usually collects non-numeric data. In other words, this method of research focuses on examining the subject through cultural phenomena, human behaviour, and belief systems. There are several approaches to use while collecting data for this method:
Case Study
It is the most common approach and involves using multiple data sources. These include field notes, interviews, journals, documents, and more. It focuses on a specific problem that a population is facing and studies it from all different angles.
Generic Quantitative Inquiry
It is the feedback approach which is conducted when a student conducts qualitative questions but cannot meet the requirements of the case study method. It is better for the researcher, who could face problems with less data to analyze.
Phenomenology
It is the most difficult of all the approaches as it involves describing the experience lived and learning from the same. It will help others to gain knowledge for dealing with a similar situation in future. The emotional connection involved in this approach makes it a challenging one.
Quantitative Method
This method of conducting research is used when the objective is to confirm something. It focuses on the collection, testing, and measurement of the numerical data, which is gathered from a large sample of the population. In this, the data is generated in the form of numbers to classify, measure, count, and identify the relations or patterns. There are two sources for the collection of data from this:
Primary Data Collection
In this approach, the data is collected by the researcher itself. To do so, they recruit the participants, and then data is obtained. It allows the researcher to decide what variables they want to explore and how to do so.
Secondary Data Collection
In this approach, a statistical analysis of the data collected by other researchers is done. It saves time and money for the researcher, as there are numerous sources available to get the particular data.
Mixed Method
As the name suggests, it is the combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods to provide additional perspective, a wider picture, and the presentation of multiple findings. On the one hand, the quantitative method provides figures, and on the other hand, the qualitative one provides the human aspect. It combines to produce the best results.
What to Include in This Section?
There are three key elements that you need to include in your research methodology section, which are as follows:
Logic of Inquiry
This element states whether your research is inductive or deductive. In simple terms, you have to say whether your study will be qualitative or quantitative.
Methods of Data Collection
The research methodology section also includes the methods you will use to collect the data or information. As there are various methods to do so, including sampling, interviews, and more.
Research Setting
In this, you have to include the setting you will select for your research purpose, that is, social, political, economical, physical, historical, etc. Other than these, these also have a thesis statement that is the crucial part of the paper. For this, you can seek the help of the free thesis statement generator tool available online.
How to Select the Appropriate Method?
The research method that you have to choose depends on the data type you want to research:
If you want to measure something, you have to use quantitative methods. On the contrary, if you want to discover ideas or meanings, you must use qualitative methods.
If you want to analyse the already available data, use the secondary data collection approach. Whereas, if you have a specific purpose, you must collect the data from a primary source.
All these methods have different purposes, so you must find the best one that satisfies all your needs through research.
Conclusion
A research methodology justifies the reason behind choosing a particular approach to answer the question or the argument. It also explains how you have collected and analysed the data. So you have to create this section focusing on all these things. This article has equipped you with the information you need to understand. Even after this, if you have any doubts, you can seek thesis help from experts.