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Research Methods | Definitions, Types, Examples

Research methods are specific procedures for collecting and analyzing data. Developing your research methods is an integral part of your research design . When planning your methods, there are two key decisions you will make.

First, decide how you will collect data . Your methods depend on what type of data you need to answer your research question :

Second, decide how you will analyze the data .

Table of contents

Methods for collecting data, examples of data collection methods, methods for analyzing data, examples of data analysis methods, frequently asked questions about research methods.

Data is the information that you collect for the purposes of answering your research question . The type of data you need depends on the aims of your research.

Qualitative vs. quantitative data

Your choice of qualitative or quantitative data collection depends on the type of knowledge you want to develop.

For questions about ideas, experiences and meanings, or to study something that can’t be described numerically, collect qualitative data .

If you want to develop a more mechanistic understanding of a topic, or your research involves hypothesis testing , collect quantitative data .

You can also take a mixed methods approach , where you use both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Primary vs. secondary research

Primary research is any original data that you collect yourself for the purposes of answering your research question (e.g. through surveys , observations and experiments ). Secondary research is data that has already been collected by other researchers (e.g. in a government census or previous scientific studies).

If you are exploring a novel research question, you’ll probably need to collect primary data . But if you want to synthesize existing knowledge, analyze historical trends, or identify patterns on a large scale, secondary data might be a better choice.

Descriptive vs. experimental data

In descriptive research , you collect data about your study subject without intervening. The validity of your research will depend on your sampling method .

In experimental research , you systematically intervene in a process and measure the outcome. The validity of your research will depend on your experimental design .

To conduct an experiment, you need to be able to vary your independent variable , precisely measure your dependent variable, and control for confounding variables . If it’s practically and ethically possible, this method is the best choice for answering questions about cause and effect.

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methodology of a research work

Your data analysis methods will depend on the type of data you collect and how you prepare it for analysis.

Data can often be analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. For example, survey responses could be analyzed qualitatively by studying the meanings of responses or quantitatively by studying the frequencies of responses.

Qualitative analysis methods

Qualitative analysis is used to understand words, ideas, and experiences. You can use it to interpret data that was collected:

Qualitative analysis tends to be quite flexible and relies on the researcher’s judgement, so you have to reflect carefully on your choices and assumptions and be careful to avoid research bias .

Quantitative analysis methods

Quantitative analysis uses numbers and statistics to understand frequencies, averages and correlations (in descriptive studies) or cause-and-effect relationships (in experiments).

You can use quantitative analysis to interpret data that was collected either:

Because the data is collected and analyzed in a statistically valid way, the results of quantitative analysis can be easily standardized and shared among researchers.

Quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative research deals with words and meanings.

Quantitative methods allow you to systematically measure variables and test hypotheses . Qualitative methods allow you to explore concepts and experiences in more detail.

In mixed methods research , you use both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods to answer your research question .

A sample is a subset of individuals from a larger population . Sampling means selecting the group that you will actually collect data from in your research. For example, if you are researching the opinions of students in your university, you could survey a sample of 100 students.

In statistics, sampling allows you to test a hypothesis about the characteristics of a population.

The research methods you use depend on the type of data you need to answer your research question .

Methodology refers to the overarching strategy and rationale of your research project . It involves studying the methods used in your field and the theories or principles behind them, in order to develop an approach that matches your objectives.

Methods are the specific tools and procedures you use to collect and analyze data (for example, experiments, surveys , and statistical tests ).

In shorter scientific papers, where the aim is to report the findings of a specific study, you might simply describe what you did in a methods section .

In a longer or more complex research project, such as a thesis or dissertation , you will probably include a methodology section , where you explain your approach to answering the research questions and cite relevant sources to support your choice of methods.

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Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

The methods section describes actions taken to investigate a research problem and the rationale for the application of specific procedures or techniques used to identify, select, process, and analyze information applied to understanding the problem, thereby, allowing the reader to critically evaluate a study’s overall validity and reliability. The methodology section of a research paper answers two main questions: How was the data collected or generated? And, how was it analyzed? The writing should be direct and precise and always written in the past tense.

Kallet, Richard H. "How to Write the Methods Section of a Research Paper." Respiratory Care 49 (October 2004): 1229-1232.

Importance of a Good Methodology Section

You must explain how you obtained and analyzed your results for the following reasons:

Bem, Daryl J. Writing the Empirical Journal Article. Psychology Writing Center. University of Washington; Denscombe, Martyn. The Good Research Guide: For Small-Scale Social Research Projects . 5th edition. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press, 2014; Lunenburg, Frederick C. Writing a Successful Thesis or Dissertation: Tips and Strategies for Students in the Social and Behavioral Sciences . Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2008.

Structure and Writing Style

I.  Groups of Research Methods

There are two main groups of research methods in the social sciences:

II.  Content

The introduction to your methodology section should begin by restating the research problem and underlying assumptions underpinning your study. This is followed by situating the methods you used to gather, analyze, and process information within the overall “tradition” of your field of study and within the particular research design you have chosen to study the problem. If the method you choose lies outside of the tradition of your field [i.e., your review of the literature demonstrates that the method is not commonly used], provide a justification for how your choice of methods specifically addresses the research problem in ways that have not been utilized in prior studies.

The remainder of your methodology section should describe the following:

In addition, an effectively written methodology section should:

NOTE :   Once you have written all of the elements of the methods section, subsequent revisions should focus on how to present those elements as clearly and as logically as possibly. The description of how you prepared to study the research problem, how you gathered the data, and the protocol for analyzing the data should be organized chronologically. For clarity, when a large amount of detail must be presented, information should be presented in sub-sections according to topic. If necessary, consider using appendices for raw data.

ANOTHER NOTE : If you are conducting a qualitative analysis of a research problem , the methodology section generally requires a more elaborate description of the methods used as well as an explanation of the processes applied to gathering and analyzing of data than is generally required for studies using quantitative methods. Because you are the primary instrument for generating the data [e.g., through interviews or observations], the process for collecting that data has a significantly greater impact on producing the findings. Therefore, qualitative research requires a more detailed description of the methods used.

YET ANOTHER NOTE :   If your study involves interviews, observations, or other qualitative techniques involving human subjects , you may be required to obtain approval from the university's Office for the Protection of Research Subjects before beginning your research. This is not a common procedure for most undergraduate level student research assignments. However, i f your professor states you need approval, you must include a statement in your methods section that you received official endorsement and adequate informed consent from the office and that there was a clear assessment and minimization of risks to participants and to the university. This statement informs the reader that your study was conducted in an ethical and responsible manner. In some cases, the approval notice is included as an appendix to your paper.

III.  Problems to Avoid

Irrelevant Detail The methodology section of your paper should be thorough but concise. Do not provide any background information that does not directly help the reader understand why a particular method was chosen, how the data was gathered or obtained, and how the data was analyzed in relation to the research problem [note: analyzed, not interpreted! Save how you interpreted the findings for the discussion section]. With this in mind, the page length of your methods section will generally be less than any other section of your paper except the conclusion.

Unnecessary Explanation of Basic Procedures Remember that you are not writing a how-to guide about a particular method. You should make the assumption that readers possess a basic understanding of how to investigate the research problem on their own and, therefore, you do not have to go into great detail about specific methodological procedures. The focus should be on how you applied a method , not on the mechanics of doing a method. An exception to this rule is if you select an unconventional methodological approach; if this is the case, be sure to explain why this approach was chosen and how it enhances the overall process of discovery.

Problem Blindness It is almost a given that you will encounter problems when collecting or generating your data, or, gaps will exist in existing data or archival materials. Do not ignore these problems or pretend they did not occur. Often, documenting how you overcame obstacles can form an interesting part of the methodology. It demonstrates to the reader that you can provide a cogent rationale for the decisions you made to minimize the impact of any problems that arose.

Literature Review Just as the literature review section of your paper provides an overview of sources you have examined while researching a particular topic, the methodology section should cite any sources that informed your choice and application of a particular method [i.e., the choice of a survey should include any citations to the works you used to help construct the survey].

It’s More than Sources of Information! A description of a research study's method should not be confused with a description of the sources of information. Such a list of sources is useful in and of itself, especially if it is accompanied by an explanation about the selection and use of the sources. The description of the project's methodology complements a list of sources in that it sets forth the organization and interpretation of information emanating from those sources.

Azevedo, L.F. et al. "How to Write a Scientific Paper: Writing the Methods Section." Revista Portuguesa de Pneumologia 17 (2011): 232-238; Blair Lorrie. “Choosing a Methodology.” In Writing a Graduate Thesis or Dissertation , Teaching Writing Series. (Rotterdam: Sense Publishers 2016), pp. 49-72; Butin, Dan W. The Education Dissertation A Guide for Practitioner Scholars . Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, 2010; Carter, Susan. Structuring Your Research Thesis . New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012; Kallet, Richard H. “How to Write the Methods Section of a Research Paper.” Respiratory Care 49 (October 2004):1229-1232; Lunenburg, Frederick C. Writing a Successful Thesis or Dissertation: Tips and Strategies for Students in the Social and Behavioral Sciences . Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2008. Methods Section. The Writer’s Handbook. Writing Center. University of Wisconsin, Madison; Rudestam, Kjell Erik and Rae R. Newton. “The Method Chapter: Describing Your Research Plan.” In Surviving Your Dissertation: A Comprehensive Guide to Content and Process . (Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications, 2015), pp. 87-115; What is Interpretive Research. Institute of Public and International Affairs, University of Utah; Writing the Experimental Report: Methods, Results, and Discussion. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Methods and Materials. The Structure, Format, Content, and Style of a Journal-Style Scientific Paper. Department of Biology. Bates College.

Writing Tip

Statistical Designs and Tests? Do Not Fear Them!

Don't avoid using a quantitative approach to analyzing your research problem just because you fear the idea of applying statistical designs and tests. A qualitative approach, such as conducting interviews or content analysis of archival texts, can yield exciting new insights about a research problem, but it should not be undertaken simply because you have a disdain for running a simple regression. A well designed quantitative research study can often be accomplished in very clear and direct ways, whereas, a similar study of a qualitative nature usually requires considerable time to analyze large volumes of data and a tremendous burden to create new paths for analysis where previously no path associated with your research problem had existed.

To locate data and statistics, GO HERE .

Another Writing Tip

Knowing the Relationship Between Theories and Methods

There can be multiple meaning associated with the term "theories" and the term "methods" in social sciences research. A helpful way to delineate between them is to understand "theories" as representing different ways of characterizing the social world when you research it and "methods" as representing different ways of generating and analyzing data about that social world. Framed in this way, all empirical social sciences research involves theories and methods, whether they are stated explicitly or not. However, while theories and methods are often related, it is important that, as a researcher, you deliberately separate them in order to avoid your theories playing a disproportionate role in shaping what outcomes your chosen methods produce.

Introspectively engage in an ongoing dialectic between the application of theories and methods to help enable you to use the outcomes from your methods to interrogate and develop new theories, or ways of framing conceptually the research problem. This is how scholarship grows and branches out into new intellectual territory.

Reynolds, R. Larry. Ways of Knowing. Alternative Microeconomics . Part 1, Chapter 3. Boise State University; The Theory-Method Relationship. S-Cool Revision. United Kingdom.

Yet Another Writing Tip

Methods and the Methodology

Do not confuse the terms "methods" and "methodology." As Schneider notes, a method refers to the technical steps taken to do research . Descriptions of methods usually include defining and stating why you have chosen specific techniques to investigate a research problem, followed by an outline of the procedures you used to systematically select, gather, and process the data [remember to always save the interpretation of data for the discussion section of your paper].

The methodology refers to a discussion of the underlying reasoning why particular methods were used . This discussion includes describing the theoretical concepts that inform the choice of methods to be applied, placing the choice of methods within the more general nature of academic work, and reviewing its relevance to examining the research problem. The methodology section also includes a thorough review of the methods other scholars have used to study the topic.

Bryman, Alan. "Of Methods and Methodology." Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal 3 (2008): 159-168; Schneider, Florian. “What's in a Methodology: The Difference between Method, Methodology, and Theory…and How to Get the Balance Right?” PoliticsEastAsia.com. Chinese Department, University of Leiden, Netherlands.

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Research Methodologies

What are research methodologies?

Quantitative research methodologies, qualitative research methodologies, mixed method methodologies, selecting a methodology.

According to Dawson (2019),a research methodology is the primary principle that will guide your research.  It becomes the general approach in conducting research on your topic and determines what research method you will use. A research methodology is different from a research method because research methods are the tools you use to gather your data (Dawson, 2019).  You must consider several issues when it comes to selecting the most appropriate methodology for your topic.  Issues might include research limitations and ethical dilemmas that might impact the quality of your research.  Descriptions of each type of methodology are included below.

Quantitative research methodologies are meant to create numeric statistics by using survey research to gather data (Dawson, 2019).  This approach tends to reach a larger amount of people in a shorter amount of time.  According to Labaree (2020), there are three parts that make up a quantitative research methodology:

Once you decide on a methodology, you can consider the method to which you will apply your methodology.

Qualitative research methodologies examine the behaviors, opinions, and experiences of individuals through methods of examination (Dawson, 2019).  This type of approach typically requires less participants, but more time with each participant.  It gives research subjects the opportunity to provide their own opinion on a certain topic.

Examples of Qualitative Research Methodologies

A mixed methodology allows you to implement the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative research methods.  In some cases, you may find that your research project would benefit from this.  This approach is beneficial because it allows each methodology to counteract the weaknesses of the other (Dawson, 2019).  You should consider this option carefully, as it can make your research complicated if not planned correctly.

What should you do to decide on a research methodology?  The most logical way to determine your methodology is to decide whether you plan on conducting qualitative or qualitative research.  You also have the option to implement a mixed methods approach.  Looking back on Dawson's (2019) five "W's" on the previous page , may help you with this process.  You should also look for key words that indicate a specific type of research methodology in your hypothesis or proposal.  Some words may lean more towards one methodology over another.

Quantitative Research Key Words

Qualitative Research Key Words

methodology of a research work

Examples of Methodology in Research Papers (With Definition)

Updated September 30, 2022

Published July 25, 2022

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

When researchers record their findings, they often include a methodology section that details the research techniques used and outcomes. When writing a thesis or dissertation, or documenting a project for your employer, including details about methodology assists readers in understanding your findings. Learning more about the concept and reviewing examples of methodology is important for providing insight into the validity and reliability of research.

In this article, we explain why it's important to review examples of methodology, explore what a methodology is, highlight what it includes, learn how it differs from research methods, and discover an example of methodology in a research paper.

Why review examples of methodology?

If you're writing a thesis, it may be useful to review some examples of methodology. By reviewing these examples, you can learn more about research approaches that give credibility to studies. You can also learn more about the language used and the details included, which can help you make your own methodology sections of reports more effective.

What is a methodology in a research paper?

In a research paper, thesis, or dissertation, the methodology section describes the steps you took to investigate and research a hypothesis and your rationale for the specific processes and techniques used to identify, collect, and analyze data. The methodology element of your research report enables readers to assess the study's overall validity and reliability and provides an important insight into two key components, namely your data gathering and analysis techniques and your reason for investigating. When composing this section for a research paper, it's important to keep the topic concise and write in the past tense.

What to include in a methodology section

When developing a methodology for research papers, it's worth considering the following elements:

Type of research

The first part of a methodology section typically outlines the type of research you did, and how you established your research procedures. This section highlights the subject of your study and addresses the type of data necessary to conduct evaluations and research assessments. The methodology section commonly contains the criteria that your experimental investigations followed to provide valid and trustworthy data. The material in this section provides readers with an insight into the methods you used to assess validity and reliability throughout your investigations.

Data collection process

The methodology section also contains a description of how you collected the data. Whether you ran experimental testing on samples, conducted surveys or interviews, or created new research using existing data, this section of your methodology describes what you did and how you did it. Key aspects to mention include how you developed your experiment or survey, how you collected and organized data, and what kind of data you measured. Additionally, you may outline how you set particular criteria for qualitative and quantitative data collection.

Data analysis process

Your approach to data analysis is equally important to the processes of data collection. The term data analysis refers to the procedures you employed to organize, classify, and examine the data gathered throughout your research operations. For instance, when presenting your quantitative approaches, you may add information regarding the data preparation and organization procedures you used and a short description of the statistical tests involved. When presenting your qualitative data analysis techniques, you may prefer to concentrate on how you classified, coded, and applied language, text, and other observations throughout your study.

Resources, materials, and tools

The tools, materials, and other resources necessary for conducting your research and analysis are also important factors to include when outlining your approach. In documenting your processes, it's important to outline your use of software programs, mathematical and statistical formulae, and other instruments that assisted you in your study. Additionally, this area of your approach may describe any unique strategies you used to gather data and identify significant factors. The methods you used to investigate your hypothesis and underlying research questions are also key components of your methodology.

The rationale behind the research

Because the methodology section of your research paper demonstrates to readers why your study is legitimate and important, the final part of this section can concentrate on your justification for the research. Details such as why your studies are important, which sectors they pertain to, and how other researchers might reproduce your findings are critical components of this section. It's important to discuss any strategies you intend to employ to continue reviewing your research and to properly reference the primary and secondary sources you utilized.

Differences between the methodology and research methods

While the methodology section of your research paper contains information about the research techniques you employed, there are many distinctions between the methodology and the actual research methods you used, including:

The overall objective of your approach is distinct from the procedures you used to carry out your study. While the methodology section of your research paper describes your processes in detail, the methods section refers to the specific steps you took to collect and analyze data throughout your research. The methodology acts as a summary that proves the validity and dependability of your procedures, while the methods are the scientific ways to test and reach conclusions about the data you investigate.

The structure of the methodology section differs from how you describe and explain your research and analytic approaches. The methodology section is often located at the beginning of your article and takes the form of a summary or essay in paragraphs, outlining the validity, procedure, and justification for your study. The structure in which you discuss your methods varies according to the type of study, data, and evaluations used. For example, when presenting the methods, you may use a graph or chart to illustrate your results.

The objectives and style of your methodology and research techniques ultimately impact on the material that you present. It's important that your methodology provides a succinct review of your research, methods, and findings. As a result, the methodology section of your paper can include the elements you employed to conduct your investigations. The content of your research paper that describes your methods of data collection and analysis techniques may vary, as it's often required to clarify your scientific approaches and research procedures using lists and visual aids, such as charts or graphs, to supplement the material.

Example of a methodology in a research paper

The following example of a methodology in a research paper provides insight into the structure and content to consider when writing your own:

This research article discusses the psychological and emotional impact of a mental health support program for employees. The program provided prolonged and tailored help to job seekers via a job support agency that kept contact with applicants beyond initial job placement to give different forms of assistance. I chose a 50% random selection of respondents who participated in the employment agency's support program between April and October and met the research criteria I created based on prior and comparable studies.

My colleagues and I randomly allocated the 350 resultant patients to the treatment or control groups, which included life skills development and career training in an in-house workshop setting. My colleagues and I assessed the 350 participants upon admission and again after they reached the 90-day employment requirement. The psychological functioning and self-esteem assessments we conducted revealed considerable evidence of the impact of treatment on both measures, including results that contradicted our original premise.

We discovered that, rather than demonstrating better functioning and higher self-esteem, participants in the therapy group exhibited poorer cognitive and emotional functioning and self-esteem. These findings prompted my study team and me to conclude that people who consider themselves unfulfilled in their jobs often endure a substantial decline in performance as a consequence of increased workplace stress and lower emotional well-being, irrespective of their mental health status.

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How to write a methodology in 8 steps (definition and types)

Updated 21 July 2022

Published 3 January 2022

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

Writing a methodology is an essential part of presenting your research findings to the public. Your methodology supports your findings by explaining your research techniques and creating a roadmap of how you reached your conclusion. Knowing how to write this section of your research paper allows you to present the case for why you chose the methods you used and explain how these methods directly lead to answers to the questions you raised in your research. In this article, we explain what a methodology is, why it's important, how to write a methodology and common types of research methodologies.

What is a methodology and why is it important?

A methodology is a detailed description of a research process that you choose to conduct your research as a scientist or a researcher. In other words, it's a contextual framework that presents a logical path for answering questions that you raise at the beginning of your thesis or paper. Typically, the methodology makes up its own section in a paper, in which you can describe your method for gathering, grouping and analysing observational, experimental, simulation and derived data.

Sharing your methodology gives legitimacy to your research. This is especially important if you're conducting scientific or academic research. In this case, your reader expects you to follow common practices that can lead you to a reliable, logical and coherent conclusion. It's also critical that your methodology is repeatable, meaning anyone who uses the same methods can reach the same conclusions you reached.

How to write a methodology

Knowing how to write a methodology may help you improve your research and make sure your results are repeatable. Although the way in which you approach choosing your methods and writing your methodology may be different depending on the type of research you're conducting, there are several basic steps that almost all researchers take to complete this section. Here are eight key steps to writing a methodology:

1. Restate your thesis or research problem

The first step to writing an effective methodology requires that you restate your initial thesis. It's an important step that allows the reader to remember the most important aspects of your research and follow each step of your methodology. Restating your thesis may also be an effective way to address any assumptions you made in your research and to list any variables you tested as a part of your research.

2. Explain the approach you chose

Once you inform the reader about your thesis or research problem by restating it, it's important that you make sure to thoroughly explain the type of research you chose for your paper or project. During this step, you can present your unique viewpoint to the reader. Consider mentioning if you chose quantitative or qualitative data collection methods. If you used both, which is known as the blended approach, or another alternative method, you can explain what led you to this decision.

3. Discuss any uncommon methodologies you use

If the research you're conducting is innovative, you may consider using less-popular research methods. You may even decide to create your own method that lies outside the realm of usual research practices in your field. In a situation like this, it's important that you clarify your choice and explain how this unique method you're working with contributes to the research.

4. Describe how you collected the data you used

There are various data collection methods that you can use to prove or disprove your research question. In this step, you can describe how you collected your data and discuss in more detail why you've decided to choose either the quantitative or qualitative method or combine them to create an alternative method. While describing your collection process, it's important that you introduce transparency to the research by stating how many experiments you conducted and what tools you used to test your subjects. It's also critical to list the criteria you used to choose existing data from other sources.

5. Explain the methods you used to analyse the data you collected

Once you explain how you collected your data, it's important to discuss how you analysed it. Consider telling the reader what tools you used to process data, but do so without sharing the results of your experiments or research yet. In this step, you may also make sure that the arguments for certain data collection and analysis techniques show that your research was accurate. For example, you can do this by listing the exact steps you took and mentioning any software you used.

6. Evaluate and justify the methodological choices you made

This step allows you to spend some time reflecting on your approach, including any potential weaknesses or limitations in your methodology. It's important that you inform the reader about it, as reviewing these weaknesses helps them to better understand the viewpoint and approach that you had throughout your research. This way, you can clearly and accurately present any evidence that supports the methodology of your choice.

7. Mention any obstacles and their solutions

Although you typically want to encounter as few obstacles as possible when conducting research, it's important that you mention them in your methodology if they happen. Consider explaining what caused them and how you managed to overcome them, for example, by adjusting the properties of your research method. This shows the reader your strong problem-solving skills and, in some cases, it may even reinforce the validity of your research.

8. Cite all sources you used to determine your choice of methodology

The final step to writing an effective, complete methodology is referencing sources you used. This includes all papers and other sources that helped you develop the framework for your research and determine your overall methodology. Providing this information allows the reader to understand the bigger picture and helps them gain further knowledge in the field.

Common types of research methodologies

Depending on your research question and sometimes even the field you're in, you may consider using different research methods to draw a conclusion or answer your research question. In some instances, you may also combine several methodologies to draw more accurate conclusions. For example, you can do this if you're research is unusually extensive and summarises a few years of work. Here are 10 common types of research methodologies to consider:

Quantitative research: Quantitative research focuses on collecting and analysing numerical data. There are various subtypes of quantitative research, including surveys, correlational research and experimental research.

Qualitative research: The opposite to quantitative research is qualitative research, which focuses on analysing non-numerical data. For example, you can use it if you're researching languages.

Descriptive research: If you're researching a phenomenon or certain characteristics of a population, you may consider using descriptive research. Rather than answering how or when certain characteristics occurred, it answers the 'what' question.

Conclusive research: Conclusive research, as the name suggests, helps you draw conclusions that you can use to answer your primary research question or prove your thesis. It's also useful when making decisions about developing your methodology.

Surveys: Surveys are lists of questions that you can present to your research subjects to gather data that you want to use in your research. You can conduct surveys in almost all environments, including by phone, email, online or in-person.

Case studies: Case studies are in-depth examinations of particular real-world cases. You can use them to describe scientific phenomena in their natural settings.

Applied research: Applied research is a unique type of methodology that allows you to solve practical problems by using scientific data and study. You can consider using it, for example, when you're conducting medical or technological research.

Fundamental research: Fundamental research, also known as academic or basic research, allows you to better understand or predict phenomena, including natural phenomena. It gives you the opportunity to improve scientific theories.

Exploratory research: Using exploratory research makes it possible for you to analyse a scientific problem that you've not clearly defined. It also makes it possible for you to better understand the cause but doesn't provide an answer or results.

Analytical research: Analytical research is a unique type of research for which you use critical thinking to evaluate facts that relate to your research. In other words, it allows you to find the most relevant information.

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methodology of a research work

How To Write a Methodology (With Tips and FAQs)

Updated August 8, 2022

Published November 5, 2020

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

Writing a methodology is an essential part of presenting research findings. Your methodology is a detailed description of the research process you used to support your findings and it explains your techniques and creates a roadmap for how you reached your conclusions. A well-written methodology not only describes the tactics you used but also presents the case for why you chose the methods you used.

In this article, we list the steps necessary in writing a methodology, offer tips for writing a methodology and answer frequently asked questions about writing a methodology.

Why is a methodology important?

Sharing your methodology gives legitimacy to your research. An unreliable or erroneous methodology produces unreliable or erroneous results. The reader of your research expects you to have followed accepted practices so that the conclusions you reach are valid. The methodology you report needs to be repeatable, meaning anyone who uses the methods you write about should reach the same conclusions you reached.

How to write a methodology

Here are the steps to follow when writing a methodology:

1. Restate your thesis or research problem

The first part of your methodology is a restatement of the problem your research investigates. This allows your reader to follow your methodology step by step, from beginning to end. Restating your thesis also provides you an opportunity to address any assumptions you made in your research and to list any variables or conditions you tested in your research.

2. Explain the approach you chose

After restating your research problem, explain the type of research you used. Describe your reasoning for choosing either qualitative or quantitative research or for using a blended approach or any alternative method your specific field recognizes.

3. Explain any uncommon methodology you use

If any part of your process is outside of the realm of usual practices in your field, clarify your choice. For example, you may have created a unique approach specific to your thesis topic or you may have adapted a process usually used in another line of research. Since your methodology provides evidence that your findings are valid, a strong statement of why you use alternative methods in your research answers potential criticism of any unusual methods.

4. Describe how you collected the data you used

Report whether you used quantitative or qualitative data in your research. Describe any experiments you conducted, including how you designed the experiment, how you measured any variables and what tools you needed to conduct the experiment. Explain how you sourced existing data — including how that data was originally gathered — and list the criteria you used to choose existing data from other sources.

5. Explain the methods you used to analyze the data you collected

The next part of your methodology tells your reader how you processed and analyzed the data you collected but doesn't discuss any results or conclusions. If your research was strictly quantitative, list the steps you took to ensure the data was accurate, any software you used to analyze the numbers and any statistical testing you used. If you used purely qualitative research, your analysis may be content-based, theme-based or discourse-based.

6. Evaluate and justify the methodological choices you made

Describe the criteria you used in choosing your approach to your research. List any potential weaknesses in your methodology and present evidence supporting your choice. Include a brief evaluation of other methodology you might have chosen.

7. Discuss any obstacles and their solutions

Outline any obstacles you encountered in your research and list how you overcame them. The problem-solving skills you present in this section strengthen the validity of your research with readers.

8. Cite all sources you used to determine your choice of methodology

The final section of your methodology references the sources you used when determining your overall methodology. This reinforces the validity of your research.

Tips for writing a methodology

When writing a methodology, use these tips to guide your work:

Show how and why Go beyond a simple description of your methods to show how as well as why you used them. This helps demonstrate that you rigorously conducted your research.

Draft as you go Take notes and outline your methodology as you work to make sure you capture all details accurately. The better you record your methods and techniques in real-time, the better your methodology will be.

Focus on your research questions Relate your methodology choices to the central theme of your research. This shows that you chose the best methods to address the problem raised in your thesis.

Write for your audience Craft a methodology that is clearly written and well-structured. Address the audience of your research with good writing, providing more than a list of technical details and procedures.

Frequently asked questions about methodologies

Here are some frequently asked questions about methodology and their answers:

What is the difference between methods and methodology?

Methodology is the overall strategy of your research. Methods are procedures like surveys and experiments that you use to collect and analyze your data.

Where does methodology go?

In your final paper or report, the methodology section follows your introduction and precedes your results and conclusions.

What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative research?

Quantitative research uses numbers and statistics to test a hypothesis through data collection and analysis. Qualitative research explores ideas and experiences using words and meanings.

Are validity and reliability the same thing?

Validity and reliability are related but distinct concepts about how well a method measures something. Validity refers to whether results measure what they are supposed to measure. Reliability refers to whether the same results will be consistently reproduced when all conditions are the same.

What is sampling?

Sampling is the selection of a group from which data is collected. The sample size is determined by the requirements specific to your research topic.

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How To Write The Methodology Chapter

The what, why & how explained simply (with examples).

By: Jenna Crossley (PhD). Reviewed By: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach | September 2021

So, you’ve pinned down your research topic and undertaken a review of the literature – now it’s time to write up the methodology section of your dissertation, thesis or research paper. But what exactly is the methodology chapter all about – and how do you go about writing one? In this post, we’ll unpack the topic, step by step .

Overview: The Methodology Chapter

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What (exactly) is the methodology chapter?

Your methodology chapter is where you highlight the philosophical underpinnings of your research and outline the specific research design choices you’ve made. The point of the methodology chapter is to tell the reader exactly how you designed your research and to justify your design choices .

The methodology chapter should comprehensively describe and justify all the research design choices you made. For example, the type of research you conducted (e.g. qualitative or quantitative ), how you collected your data, how you analysed your data and who or where you collected data from (sampling). We’ll explain all the key design choices later in this post .

Why is the methodology chapter important?

The methodology chapter is important for two reasons:

Firstly, it demonstrates your understanding of research design theory, which is what earns you marks. A flawed research design or methodology would mean flawed results, so this chapter is vital as it allows you to show the marker that you know what you’re doing and that your results are credible .

Secondly, the methodology chapter is what helps to make your study replicable – in other words, it allows other researchers to undertake your study using the same design, and compare their findings to yours. This is very important within academic research, as each study builds on previous studies.

The methodology chapter is also important because it allows you to identify and discuss any methodological issues or problems you encountered (i.e. limitations), and to explain how you mitigated the impacts of these. Every research project has its limitations and shortcomings , so it’s important to acknowledge these openly and highlight your study’s value despite its limitations. Again, this demonstrates your understanding of research design, which will earn you marks. We’ll discuss limitations in more detail later in this post.

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methodology of a research work

How to write up the methodology chapter

First off, it’s worth noting that the exact structure and contents of the methodology chapter will vary depending on the field of research (for example, humanities vs chemistry vs engineering) as well as the university . So, it’s always a good idea to check the guidelines provided by your institution for clarity and, if possible, review past dissertations and theses from your university. Here we’re going to discuss a generic structure for a methodology chapter typically found in the sciences, especially the social sciences (e.g. psychology).

Before you start writing, we always recommend that you draw up a rough outline , so that you have a clear direction to head in. Don’t just start writing without knowing what will go where. If you do, you’ll most likely end up with a disjointed, poorly flowing narrative . As a result, you’ll waste a lot of time rewriting in an attempt to try to stitch all the pieces together. Start with the end in mind.

Section 1 – Introduction

As with all chapters in your dissertation or thesis, the methodology chapter should have a brief introduction. In this introduction, you should remind your readers what the focus of your study is, especially the research aims . As we’ve discussed many times on this blog, your research design needs to align with your research aims, objectives and research questions , so it’s useful to frontload this to remind the reader (and yourself!) what you’re trying to achieve with your design and methodology.

In this section, you can also briefly mention how you’ll structure the chapter. This will help orient the reader and provide a bit of a roadmap so that they know what to expect.

The intro provides a roadmap to your methodology chapter

Section 2 – The Research Design

The next section of your methodology chapter should present your research design to the reader. In this section, you need to detail and justify all the key design choices in a logical, intuitive fashion. This is the heart of your methodology chapter, so you need to get specific – don’t hold back on the details here. This is not one of those “less is more” situations.

Let’s have a look at the most common design choices you’ll need to cover.

Design Choice #1 – Research Philosophy

Research philosophy refers to the underlying beliefs (i.e. world view) regarding how data about a phenomenon should be gathered , analysed and used . Your research philosophy  will serve as the core of your study and underpin all of the other research design choices, so it’s critically important that you understand which philosophy you’ll adopt and why you made that choice. If you’re not clear on this, take the time to  get clarity before you make any research design choices.

While several research philosophies exist, two commonly adopted ones are positivism and interpretivism .

Positivism is commonly the underlying research philosophy in quantitative studies. It states that the researcher can observe reality objectively and that there is only one reality, which exists independent of the observer.

Contrasted with this, interpretivism , which is often the underlying research philosophy in qualitative studies, assumes that the researcher performs a role in observing the world around them and that reality is unique to each observer . In other words, reality is observed subjectively .

These are just two philosophies (there are many) , but they demonstrate significantly different approaches to research and have a significant impact on all the research design choices. Therefore, it’s vital that you clearly outline and justify your research philosophy at the beginning of your methodology chapter, as it sets the scene for everything that follows.

The research philosophy is at the core of the methodology chapter

Design Choice #2 – Research Type

The next thing you would typically discuss in your methodology section is the research type. The starting point for this is to indicate whether the research you conducted is inductive or deductive . With inductive research, theory is generated from the ground up (i.e. from the collected data), and therefore these studies tend to be exploratory in terms of approach. Deductive research, on the other hand, starts with established theory and builds onto it with collected data, and therefore these studies tend to be confirmatory in approach.

Related to this, you’ll need to indicate whether your study adopts a qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods methodology. As we’ve mentioned, there’s a strong link between this choice and your research philosophy, so make sure that your choices are tightly aligned . Again, when you write this section up, remember to clearly justify your choices, as they form the foundation of your study.

Design Choice #3 – Research Strategy

Next, you’ll need to discuss your research strategy (i.e., your research “action plan”). This research design choice refers to how you conduct your research based on the aims of your study.

Several research strategies exist, including experiments , case studies , ethnography , grounded theory, action research , and phenomenology . Let’s look at two these, experimental and ethnographic, to see how they contrast.

Experimental research makes use of the scientific method , where one group is the control group (in which no variables are manipulated ) and another is the experimental group (in which a variable is manipulated). This type of research is undertaken under strict conditions in controlled, artificial environments – for example, within a laboratory. By having firm control over the environment, experimental research often allows the researcher to establish causation between variables. Therefore, it can be a good choice if you have research aims that involve identifying or measuring cause and effect.

Ethnographic research , on the other hand, involves observing and capturing the experiences and perceptions of participants in their natural environment (for example, at home or in the office). In other words, in an uncontrolled environment.  Naturally this means that this research strategy would be far less suitable if your research aims involve identifying causation, but it would be very valuable if you’re looking to explore and examine a group culture, for example.

As you can see, the right research strategy will depend largely on your research aims and research questions – in other words, what you’re trying to figure out. Therefore, as with every other design choice, it’s essential to justify why you chose the research strategy you did.

Justify every design/methodology choice

Design Choice #4 – Time Horizon

The next thing you need to cover in your methodology chapter is the time horizon. There are two options here – cross-sectional and longitudinal . In other words, whether the data for your study were all collected at one point in time (i.e. cross-sectional) or at multiple points in time (i.e. longitudinal).

The choice you make here depends again on your research aims, objectives and research questions. If, for example, you aim to assess how a specific group of people’s perspectives regarding a topic change over time , you’d likely adopt a longitudinal time horizon.

Another important factor is simply the practical constraints – in other words, whether you have the time necessary to adopt a longitudinal approach (which could involve collecting data over multiple years). Oftentimes, the time pressures of your degree program will force your hand into adopting a cross-sectional time horizon, so keep this in mind.

Design Choice #5 – Sampling Strategy

Next, you’ll need to discuss your chosen sampling strategy . There are two main categories of sampling, probability and non-probability sampling. Probability sampling involves a random (and therefore representative) selection of participants from a population, whereas non-probability sampling entails selecting participants in a non-randomized (and therefore non-representative) manner. For example, selecting participants based on ease of access (this is called a convenience sample).

The right sampling approach depends largely on what you’re trying to achieve in your study. Specifically, whether you trying to develop findings that are generalisable to a population or not. Practicalities and resource constraints also play a large role here, as it can oftentimes be challenging to gain access to a truly random sample.

Design Choice #6 – Data Collection Method

Next up, you need to explain how exactly you’ll go about collecting the necessary data for your study. Your data collection method (or methods) will depend on the type of data that you plan to collect – in other words, qualitative or quantitative data.

Typically, quantitative research relies on surveys , data generated by lab equipment, analytics software or existing datasets. Qualitative research, on the other hand, often makes use of collection methods such as interviews , focus groups , participant observations, and ethnography.

So, as you can see, there is a tight link between this section and the design choices you outlined in earlier sections. Strong alignment between these sections is therefore very important.

Design Choice #7 – Data Analysis Methods/Techniques

The final major design choice that you need to address is that of analysis techniques . In other words, once you’ve collected your data, how will you go about analysing it. Here it’s important to be specific about your analysis methods and/or techniques – don’t leave any room for interpretation. Also, as with all choices in this chapter, you need to justify each choice you make.

What exactly you discuss here will depend largely on the type of study you’re conducting (i.e., qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods). For qualitative studies, common analysis methods include content analysis , thematic analysis and discourse analysis . For quantitative studies, you’ll almost always make use of descriptive statistics, and in many cases, you’ll also use inferential statistical techniques (e.g. correlation and regression analysis).

In this section, it’s also important to discuss how you prepared your data for analysis, and what software you used (if any). For example, quantitative data will often require some initial preparation such as removing duplicates or incomplete responses . As always, remember to state both what you did and why you did it.

Time to analyse

Section 3 – The Methodological Limitations

With the key research design choices outlined and justified, the next step is to discuss the limitations of your design. No research design or methodology is perfect – there will always be trade-offs between the “ideal” design and what’s practical and viable, given your constraints. Therefore, this section of your methodology chapter is where you’ll discuss the trade-offs you had to make, and why these were justified given the context.

Methodological limitations can vary greatly from study to study, ranging from common issues such as time and budget constraints to issues of sample or selection bias . For example, you may find that you didn’t manage to draw in enough respondents to achieve the desired sample size (and therefore, statistically significant results), or your sample may be skewed heavily towards a certain demographic, thereby negatively impacting representativeness .

In this section, it’s important to be critical of the shortcomings of your study. There’s no use trying to hide them (your marker will be aware of them regardless). By being critical, you’ll demonstrate to your marker that you have a strong understanding of research design, so don’t be shy here. At the same time, don’t beat your study to death . State the limitations, why these were justified, how you mitigated their impacts to the best degree possible, and how your study still provides value despite these limitations.

Section 4 – Concluding Summary

Finally, it’s time to wrap up the methodology chapter with a brief concluding summary. In this section, you’ll want to concisely summarise what you’ve presented in the chapter. Here, it can be useful to use a figure to summarise the key design decisions, especially if your university recommends using a specific model (for example, Saunders’ Research Onion ).

Importantly, this section needs to be brief – a paragraph or two maximum (it’s a summary, after all). Also, make sure that when you write up your concluding summary, you include only what you’ve already discussed in your chapter; don’t add any new information.

Keep it simple

Wrapping up

And there you have it – the methodology chapter in a nutshell. As we’ve mentioned, the exact contents and structure of this chapter can vary between universities , so be sure to check in with your institution before you start writing. If possible, try to find dissertations or theses from former students of your specific degree program – this will give you a strong indication of the expectations and norms when it comes to the methodology chapter (and all the other chapters!).

Also, remember the golden rule of the methodology chapter – justify every choice ! Make sure that you clearly explain the “why” for every “what”, and reference credible methodology textbooks or academic sources to back up your justifications.

If you need a helping hand with your research methodology (or any other section of your dissertation or thesis), be sure to check out our private coaching service , where we hold your hand through every step of the research journey. Until next time, good luck!

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How to Write Research Methodology

Last Updated: October 30, 2022 References Approved

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Jennifer Mueller is a wikiHow Content Creator. She specializes in reviewing, fact-checking, and evaluating wikiHow's content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. Jennifer holds a JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 88% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 469,307 times. Learn more...

The research methodology section of any academic research paper gives you the opportunity to convince your readers that your research is useful and will contribute to your field of study. An effective research methodology is grounded in your overall approach – whether qualitative or quantitative – and adequately describes the methods you used. Justify why you chose those methods over others, then explain how those methods will provide answers to your research questions. [1] X Research source

Describing Your Methods

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Justifying Your Choice of Methods

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Connecting Your Methods to Your Research Goals

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Jennifer Mueller, JD

To write a research methodology, start with a section that outlines the problems or questions you'll be studying, including your hypotheses or whatever it is you're setting out to prove. Then, briefly explain why you chose to use either a qualitative or quantitative approach for your study. Next, go over when and where you conducted your research and what parameters you used to ensure you were objective. Finally, cite any sources you used to decide on the methodology for your research. To learn how to justify your choice of methods in your research methodology, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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What Is a Research Methodology? | Steps & Tips

Published on 25 February 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on 10 October 2022.

Your research methodology discusses and explains the data collection and analysis methods you used in your research. A key part of your thesis, dissertation, or research paper, the methodology chapter explains what you did and how you did it, allowing readers to evaluate the reliability and validity of your research.

It should include:

Table of contents

How to write a research methodology, why is a methods section important, step 1: explain your methodological approach, step 2: describe your data collection methods, step 3: describe your analysis method, step 4: evaluate and justify the methodological choices you made, tips for writing a strong methodology chapter, frequently asked questions about methodology.

Your methods section is your opportunity to share how you conducted your research and why you chose the methods you chose. It’s also the place to show that your research was rigorously conducted and can be replicated .

It gives your research legitimacy and situates it within your field, and also gives your readers a place to refer to if they have any questions or critiques in other sections.

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

You can start by introducing your overall approach to your research. You have two options here.

Option 1: Start with your “what”

What research problem or question did you investigate?

And what type of data did you need to achieve this aim?

Option 2: Start with your “why”

Depending on your discipline, you can also start with a discussion of the rationale and assumptions underpinning your methodology. In other words, why did you choose these methods for your study?

Once you have introduced your reader to your methodological approach, you should share full details about your data collection methods .

Quantitative methods

In order to be considered generalisable, you should describe quantitative research methods in enough detail for another researcher to replicate your study.

Here, explain how you operationalised your concepts and measured your variables. Discuss your sampling method or inclusion/exclusion criteria, as well as any tools, procedures, and materials you used to gather your data.

Surveys Describe where, when, and how the survey was conducted.

Experiments Share full details of the tools, techniques, and procedures you used to conduct your experiment.

Existing data Explain how you gathered and selected the material (such as datasets or archival data) that you used in your analysis.

The survey consisted of 5 multiple-choice questions and 10 questions measured on a 7-point Likert scale.

The goal was to collect survey responses from 350 customers visiting the fitness apparel company’s brick-and-mortar location in Boston on 4–8 July 2022, between 11:00 and 15:00.

Here, a customer was defined as a person who had purchased a product from the company on the day they took the survey. Participants were given 5 minutes to fill in the survey anonymously. In total, 408 customers responded, but not all surveys were fully completed. Due to this, 371 survey results were included in the analysis.

Qualitative methods

In qualitative research , methods are often more flexible and subjective. For this reason, it’s crucial to robustly explain the methodology choices you made.

Be sure to discuss the criteria you used to select your data, the context in which your research was conducted, and the role you played in collecting your data (e.g., were you an active participant, or a passive observer?)

Interviews or focus groups Describe where, when, and how the interviews were conducted.

Participant observation Describe where, when, and how you conducted the observation or ethnography .

Existing data Explain how you selected case study materials for your analysis.

In order to gain better insight into possibilities for future improvement of the fitness shop’s product range, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 returning customers.

Here, a returning customer was defined as someone who usually bought products at least twice a week from the store.

Surveys were used to select participants. 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.

Mixed methods

Mixed methods research combines quantitative and qualitative approaches. If a standalone quantitative or qualitative study is insufficient to answer your research question, mixed methods may be a good fit for you.

Mixed methods are less common than standalone analyses, largely because they require a great deal of effort to pull off successfully. If you choose to pursue mixed methods, it’s especially important to robustly justify your methods here.

Next, you should indicate how you processed and analysed your data. Avoid going into too much detail: you should not start introducing or discussing any of your results at this stage.

In quantitative research , your analysis will be based on numbers. In your methods section, you can include:

In qualitative research, your analysis will be based on language, images, and observations (often involving some form of textual analysis ).

Specific methods might include:

Mixed methods combine the above two research methods, integrating both qualitative and quantitative approaches into one coherent analytical process.

Above all, your methodology section should clearly make the case for why you chose the methods you did. This is especially true if you did not take the most standard approach to your topic. In this case, discuss why other methods were not suitable for your objectives, and show how this approach contributes new knowledge or understanding.

In any case, it should be overwhelmingly clear to your reader that you set yourself up for success in terms of your methodology’s design. Show how your methods should lead to results that are valid and reliable, while leaving the analysis of the meaning, importance, and relevance of your results for your discussion section .

Remember that your aim is not just to describe your methods, but to show how and why you applied them. Again, it’s critical to demonstrate that your research was rigorously conducted and can be replicated.

1. 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 .

2. Cite relevant sources

Your methodology can be strengthened by referencing existing research in your field. This can help you to:

3. Write for your audience

Consider how much information you need to give, and avoid getting too lengthy. If you are using methods that are standard for your discipline, you probably don’t need to give a lot of background or justification.

Regardless, 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.

Methodology refers to the overarching strategy and rationale of your research. Developing your methodology involves studying the research methods used in your field and the theories or principles that underpin them, in order to choose the approach that best matches your objectives.

Methods are the specific tools and procedures you use to collect and analyse data (e.g. interviews, experiments , surveys , statistical tests ).

In a dissertation or scientific paper, the methodology chapter or methods section comes after the introduction and before the results , discussion and conclusion .

Depending on the length and type of document, you might also include a literature review or theoretical framework before the methodology.

Quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative research deals with words and meanings.

Quantitative methods allow you to test a hypothesis by systematically collecting and analysing data, while qualitative methods allow you to explore ideas and experiences in depth.

A sample is a subset of individuals from a larger population. Sampling means selecting the group that you will actually collect data from in your research.

For example, if you are researching the opinions of students in your university, you could survey a sample of 100 students.

Statistical sampling allows you to test a hypothesis about the characteristics of a population. There are various sampling methods you can use to ensure that your sample is representative of the population as a whole.

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Research Methodology

The research methodology is a part of your research paper that describes your research process in detail. It would help if you always tried to make the section of the research methodology enjoyable.

As you describe the procedure that has already been completed, you need to write it in the past tense.

Your research methodology should explain:

What was the purpose of your research?

What type of research method is used?

What were the data collecting methods?

How did you analyze the data?

What kind of resources has been used in your research?

Why did you choose these methods?

How to Write a Research Methodology?

Start writing your research methodology with the research problem giving a clear picture of your study’s purpose. It’ll help your readers focus on the research objectives and understand the remaining procedure of your research.

You should explain:

What type of research have you conducted?

The types of research can be categorized from the following perspectives;

Application of the study

Aim of the research

Mode of inquiry

Research approach

While talking about the research methods, you should highlight the key points, such as:

What kind of data gathering methods you’ve used in your research?

There are three types of data collecting methods such as:

Qualitative Method

Qualitative research is based on quality, and it looks in-depth at non-numerical data. It enables us to understand the comprehensive details of the problem. The researcher prepares open-ended questions to gather as much information as possible.

Quantitative Method

The quantitative research is associated with the aspects of measurement, quantity, and extent. It follows the statistical, mathematical, and computational techniques in numerical data such as percentages and statistics. The research is conducted on a large group of population.

Mixed Methods

When you combine quantitative and qualitative methods of research, the resulting approach becomes mixed methods of research.

Example: In quantitative correlation research , you aim to identify the cause-and-effect relationship between two or more variables. It would help if you also focused on explaining the difference between correlation and causation.
Example: In a qualitative research case study , your research’s focus is to find answers to how and why questions. You need to collect data collection from multiple sources over time. You need to analyse real-world problems in-depth, then you can use the method of the case study.

Describe the Research Methods

After explaining the research method you have used, you should describe the data collection methods you used. Mention the procedure and materials you used in your research.

Qualitative Methods

Interview/Focus Group Discussion

Describe the details and criteria of the interviews and. You should include the following points:

The type of questionnaire you have used in your interview.

The procedure for selecting participants.

The size of your sample (number of participation)

The duration and location of interviews.

Observation

Describe the procedure of your observation and include the following points:

Who were the participants of your observation?

How did you get access to that specific group?

How did you record the data? (written form, audio or video recording)

Archival Data

Here you have to describe the existing data you’ve’ used. You should explain:

What type of resources have you used? (texts, images, audio, videos)

To seek in-depth information about the stress level among men and women, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten men and ten women of company X. The participants were aged between 20-40. The interviews were held in the canteen to create a stress-free environment that lasted 15 minutes each. The responses were written and filmed.

Quantitative Methods

Describe the entire procedure of your survey. Include the following points:

What type of survey have you conducted? (Questionnaire/interview/ rating scale/ Online Survey)

Who were the participants of your survey? How did you select them?

What was the sample size ?

What type of questions you’ve used in your survey? (open-ended/closed-ended)

How many questions have you used?

What was the response rate of the participants?

Experiments

Explain the detailed procedure you have followed in your experiment. Try to provide as much information you can provide. Include the following points:

The type of your experimental design .

Sampling method you’ve used to select subjects.

Tools and techniques used in the experiment.

The way you identified a cause-and-effect relationship between the variables.

Describe the existing data you’ve used in your research. Include the following points:

The survey included ten multiple-choice questions and ten open-ended questions. The survey’s objective is to determine the stress level of working women who have to deal with household responsibilities. From 17-20 Jan 2018, between 11:00 to 13:00, the survey questionnaire was distributed among the women at the working counters. The participants were given 10 minutes to fill the questionnaire. Out of 500 participants, 450 responded, and 350 were included in the analysis.

Describe Methods of Data Analysis

In this section, you should briefly describe the methods you’ve used to analyse the data you’ve collected.

The qualitative method includes analysing language, images, audio, videos, or any textual data (textual analysis). The following types of methods are used in textual analysis .

Discourse analysis : Discourse analysis is an essential aspect of studying a language and its uses in day-to-day life.

Content analysis : It is a method of studying and retrieving meaningful information from documents

Thematic analysis: It’s a method of identifying patterns of themes in the collected information, such as face-to-face interviews, texts, and transcripts.

Example: After collecting the data, it was checked thoroughly to find the missing information. The interviews were transcribed, and textual analysis was conducted. The repetitions of the text, types of colours displayed, the tone of the speakers was measured.

Quantitative data analysis is used for analysing numerical data. Include the following points:

The methods of preparing data before analysing it.

Which statistical test you have used? (one-ended test, two-ended test)

The type of software you’ve used.

After collecting the data, it was checked thoroughly to find out the missing information. The coding system was used to interpret the data.

Provide Background and Justification

Many research methods are available, from standard to an averaged approach based on the requirements and abilities. In the research methodology section, it’s essential to mention the reasons behind selecting a specific research method.

You should also explain why you did not choose any other standard approach to your topic when it fits your requirements. Talk about your research objectives and highlight the points that could affect your research procedure if you select another research method.

You can discuss the limitations of other research methods compared to your research requirements and the method you’ve used.

Ethnographic research requires a lot of time, and one has to struggle a lot to gain access to the community. A researcher has to spend time with the target group in their natural environment. Sometimes, it’s difficult for a researcher to introduce himself as a researcher/participant with the community.
The online survey does not provide reliable responses. The only benefit of conducting an online survey would be its quick response rate and cost-effectiveness.

Points to Remember while Writing Methodology

While writing your methodology, you need to keep in mind that you don’t need to make it complicated with unnecessary details.

The aim of your writing a research methodology is not merely discussing the methods and techniques you’ve used.

You have to provide a detailed account of the procedure you’ve followed, the obstacles you faced, and the way you overcome them.

Your research question and objectives of the research are the base of your research. You should discuss the objectives and explain how this specific method helped you answer your research question. You can use goals and outcomes as evidence to support your discussion.

If you’ve used any standard method in your research, you don’t need to provide many details about it as it would be common in your field. However, if you’ve used any specific approach rarely used in your field, you should explain it in detail. Your explanation and information can help other researchers in their research.

Your methodology should be well-structured and easy to understand, with all the necessary information, evidence to support your argument.

After gathering the data, it’s essential to credit the sources you have used in your research. Mention the resources you’ve used, the way you got access to those resources. Use any suitable referencing style to cite sources such as APA, MLA, and Chicago, etc.

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How to write methodology for dissertation, research methods for dissertation, quantitative vs qualitative research, types of variables, experimental research, ethnographic research, a quick guide to case study, discourse analysis, action research for my dissertation – the do’s and the don’ts, methods of data collection, inductive and deductive reasoning, hypothesis testing, correlational research, how to conduct surveys, a quick guide to textual analysis, thematic analysis, historical research, types of research, reliability and validity, sampling methods, a quick guide to descriptive research, tips to transcribe an interview, content analysis, primary vs secondary research, what are confounding variables, advantages of secondary research, disadvantages of secondary research, advantages of primary research, disadvantages of primary research, popular articles in this category.

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The authenticity of the dissertation is largely influenced by the research method employed. Here we present the most notable research methods for dissertation.

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Home Market Research

What is Research: Definition, Methods, Types & Examples

What is Research

The search for knowledge is closely linked to the object of study; that is, to the reconstruction of the facts that will provide an explanation to an observed event and that at first sight can be considered as a problem. It is very human to seek answers and satisfy our curiosity. Let’s talk about research.

Content Index

What is Research?

What are the characteristics of research.

Qualitative methods

Quantitative methods, 8 tips for conducting accurate research.

Research is the careful consideration of study regarding a particular concern or problem using scientific methods. According to the American sociologist Earl Robert Babbie, “research is a systematic inquiry to describe, explain, predict, and control the observed phenomenon. It involves inductive and deductive methods.”

Inductive methods analyze an observed event, while deductive methods verify the observed event. Inductive approaches are associated with qualitative research , and deductive methods are more commonly associated with quantitative analysis.

Research is conducted with a purpose to:

What is the purpose of research?

There are three main purposes:

Here is a comparative analysis chart for a better understanding:

It begins by asking the right questions and choosing an appropriate method to investigate the problem. After collecting answers to your questions, you can analyze the findings or observations to draw reasonable conclusions.

When it comes to customers and market studies, the more thorough your questions, the better the analysis. You get essential insights into brand perception and product needs by thoroughly collecting customer data through surveys and questionnaires . You can use this data to make smart decisions about your marketing strategies to position your business effectively.

To make sense of your study and get insights faster, it helps to use a research repository as a single source of truth in your organization and manage your research data in one centralized repository.

Types of research methods and Examples

what is research

Research methods are broadly classified as Qualitative and Quantitative .

Both methods have distinctive properties and data collection methods.

Qualitative research is a method that collects data using conversational methods, usually open-ended questions . The responses collected are essentially non-numerical. This method helps a researcher understand what participants think and why they think in a particular way.

Types of qualitative methods include:

Quantitative methods deal with numbers and measurable forms . It uses a systematic way of investigating events or data. It answers questions to justify relationships with measurable variables to either explain, predict, or control a phenomenon.

Types of quantitative methods include:

Remember, it is only valuable and useful when it is valid, accurate, and reliable. Incorrect results can lead to customer churn and a decrease in sales.

It is essential to ensure that your data is:

Gather insights

What is a research - tips

Review your goals before making any conclusions about your study. Remember how the process you have completed and the data you have gathered help answer your questions. Ask yourself if what your analysis revealed facilitates the identification of your conclusions and recommendations.

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Research and Writing Guides

Writing a paper? Don't get lost.

What is research methodology?

methodology of a research work

When you’re working on your first piece of academic research, there are many different things to focus on and it can be overwhelming to stay on top of everything. This is especially true of budding or inexperienced researchers.

If you’ve never put together a research proposal before or find yourself in a position where you need to explain your research methodology decisions, there are a few things you need to be aware of.

Once you understand the in's and out's, handling academic research in the future will be less intimidating. We break down the basics below:

A research methodology encompasses the way in which you intend to carry out your research. This includes how you plan to tackle things like collection methods, statistical analysis, participant observations, and more.

You can think of your research methodology as being a formula. One part will be how you plan on putting your research into practice and another will be why you feel this is the best way to approach it. Your research methodology is ultimately a methodological and systematic plan to resolve your research problem.

In short, you are explaining how you will take your idea and turn it into a study, which in turn will produce valid and reliable results that are in accordance with the aims and objectives of your research. This is true whether your paper plans to make use of qualitative methods or quantitative methods.

The purpose of a research methodology is to explain the reasoning behind your approach to your research - you'll need to support your collection methods, methods of analysis, and other key points of your work.

Think of it like writing a plan or an outline for you what you intend to do.

When carrying out research, it can be easy to go off-track or depart from your standard methodology.

Having a methodology keeps you accountable and on track with your original aims and objectives, and gives you a suitable and sound plan to keep your project manageable, smooth, and effective.

With all that said, how do you write out your standard approach to a research methodology?

As a general plan, your methodology should include the following information:

In any dissertation, thesis, or academic journal, you will always find a chapter dedicated to explaining the research methodology of the person who carried out the study, also referred to as the methodology sections of the work.

A good research methodology will explain what you are going to do and why, while a poor methodology will lead to a messy or disorganized approach.

You should also be able to justify in this section your reasoning for why you intend on carrying out your research in a particular way, especially if it might be a particularly unique method.

Having a sound methodology in place can also help you in the following scenarios:

A research instrument is a tool you will use to help you collect, measure and analyze the data you use as part of your research.

The choice of research instrument will usually be yours to make as the researcher and will be whichever best suits your methodology.

There are many different research instruments you can use in collecting data for your research.

Generally, they can be grouped as follows:

These are the most common ways of carrying out research, but it is really dependent on your needs as a researcher and what approach you think is best to take.

It is also possible to combine a number of research instruments if this is necessary and appropriate in answering your research problem.

There are three different types of methodologies and they are distinguished by whether they focus on words, numbers, or both.

If you've done your due diligence, you'll have an idea of which methodology approach is best suited to your research.

It’s likely that you will have carried out considerable reading and homework before you reach this point and you may have taken inspiration from other similar studies that have yielded good results.

Still, it is important to consider different options before setting your research into stone. Exploring different options available will help you to explain why the choice you ultimately make is preferable to other methods.

If proving your research problem requires you to gather large volumes of numerical data to test hypotheses, a quantitative research method is likely to provide you with the most usable results.

If instead you’re looking to try and learn more about people, and their perception of events, your methodology is more exploratory in nature and would therefore probably be better served using a qualitative research methodology.

It helps to always bring things back to the question: what do I want to achieve with my research?

Research methodology refers to the techniques used to find and analyze information for a study, ensuring that the results are valid, reliable and that they address the research objective.

Data can typically be organized into four different categories or methods: observational, experimental, simulation and derived.

Writing a methodology section is a process of introducing your methods and instruments, discussing your analysis, providing more background information, addressing your research limitations, and more.

Your research methodology section will need a clear research question and proposed research approach. You'll need to add a background, introduce your research question, write your methodology and add the works you cited during your data collecting phase.

The research methodology section of your study will indicate how valid your findings are and how well-informed your paper is. It also assists future researchers planning to use the same methodology, who want to cite your study or replicate it.

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How to Choose Best Research Methodology for Your Study

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Successful research conduction requires proper planning and execution. While there are multiple reasons and aspects behind a successful research completion, choice of best research methodology is one of the most difficult and confusing decisions. Since your research will dictate the kinds of approaches you follow, it is crucial to choose research methodology to underpin your work and methods you use in order to collect data. The correct choice of methodology in research allows you to collate required information and accomplish the final goals of the study.

In this article, we will discuss the available research methodologies and the basis of selecting the most suitable one.

Table of Contents

The Importance of Choosing Best Research Methodology

Research methodology is determined before research conduction. Correct choice of research methodology helps in determining the success and overall quality of your research study and its documentation. Furthermore, becoming familiar with the research methods used by an area of study allows you to understand it more effectively.

Which are the Different Types of Research Methodology?

Based on the nature of your research, norms of research area, and practicalities you can choose the best research methodology for your research.

Broadly, research falls into one of three categories:

Factors to Consider Before Choosing the Best Research Methodology for Your Study

Nature of your research.

Each research, irrespective of its type (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed), has a different purpose and approach that helps in solving its question. Therefore, the key factor for deciding which research methodology to adopt depends on the nature of your research aims, objectives, and research questions .

Norms of Research Area

Appropriate selection of your research methodology also involves scrutinizing and considering the approaches used by other researchers in the discipline or studies with similar aims and objectives. Researchers from same disciplines often follow a common methodological approach or set of approaches. While it doesn’t mean you should follow the herd, you should at least consider these approaches and evaluate their merit to your research’s benefit.

Practicalities of the Methodology

While most methodological approaches will deliver the most scientifically rigorous research design theoretically, the chances of constraints faced practically cannot be overlooked.  Hence, it is all the more important to evaluate your research methodology on the basis of its practicality in experimental conditions

What are the Steps to Follow While Choosing the Best Research Methodology?

Step 1: define the goals, objectives, and research question..

Before worrying about the inferences, it is important to draw a path toward conclusive results. Therefore, it is essential to clearly understand what you want to research before deciding upon how to research. Most importantly, determine the variables that need to be studied in order to get an answer to the research question. Sticking to variables will lead you to the final result.

Step 2: Refer pertinent research and effectively used methodology

As there are immeasurable ways of conducting research all may not be meant for your study. Furthermore, determining the best research methodology can be difficult if you aren’t aware of the approach undertaken by other researchers from your field. Therefore, reading pertinent literature in your research area and then evaluating its methodology based on the feasibility and limitations is essential.

Step 3: Structuring the plan and finding resources to conduct research

While the research area may be same, the method of data collation may not be. Some may be time consuming, some may be found on the internet, others might need field study, or might be expensive. Therefore, it is essential to base your decision after giving a thought to these limitations of data collection as well.

Step 4: Write the research methodology in detail and review it

After selecting a particular approach to conduct your research, you must make a note of all activities. It must include the approximate time and resources each step might take. This helps in understanding the approach that your research would take and prepare you for the hurdles on its way to conclusive results.

Reasons to Select a Specific Research Methodology

You should select a qualitative research methodology because:.

You should select a quantitative research methodology because:

Key Takeaway

While it may seem that the goal of the research is the primary reason to choose the best research methodology, it is essential to consider other factors that influence successful research completion.  Remember that the choice of the most appropriate method and its correct execution is what that drives your research.

Let us know how do you choose the best research methodology in the comments section below! You can also visit our  Q&A forum  for frequently asked questions related to different aspects of research writing and publishing answered by our team that comprises subject-matter experts, eminent researchers, and publication experts.

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  1. What Is a Research Methodology?

    Step 1: Explain your methodological approach Step 2: Describe your data collection methods Step 3: Describe your analysis method Step 4: Evaluate and justify the methodological choices you made Tips for writing a strong methodology chapter Frequently asked questions about methodology How to write a research methodology

  2. Research Methods

    Research methods are specific procedures for collecting and analyzing data. Developing your research methods is an integral part of your research design. When planning your methods, there are two key decisions you will make. First, decide how you will collect data. Your methods depend on what type of data you need to answer your research question:

  3. What Is Research Methodology? Definition + Examples

    Research methodology simply refers to the practical "how" of any given piece of research. More specifically, it's about how a researcher systematically designs a study to ensure valid and reliable results that address the research aims and objectives . For example, how did the researcher go about deciding:

  4. 6. The Methodology

    The methods section describes actions taken to investigate a research problem and the rationale for the application of specific procedures or techniques used to identify, select, process, and analyze information applied to understanding the problem, thereby, allowing the reader to critically evaluate a study's overall validity and reliability.

  5. How to Write Research Methodology: Overview, Tips, and Techniques

    Methodology in research is defined as the systematic method to resolve a research problem through data gathering using various techniques, providing an interpretation of data gathered and drawing conclusions about the research data. Essentially, a research methodology is the blueprint of a research or study (Murthy & Bhojanna, 2009, p. 32).

  6. What are research methodologies?

    Qualitative Research Methodologies Qualitative research methodologies examine the behaviors, opinions, and experiences of individuals through methods of examination (Dawson, 2019). This type of approach typically requires less participants, but more time with each participant.

  7. Examples of Methodology in Research Papers (With ...

    What is a methodology in a research paper? In a research paper, thesis, or dissertation, the methodology section describes the steps you took to investigate and research a hypothesis and your rationale for the specific processes and techniques used to identify, collect, and analyze data.

  8. PDF Methodology Section for Research Papers

    Methodology Section for Research Papers The methodology section of your paper describeshow your research was conducted. This information allows readers to check whether your approach is accurate and dependable. A good methodology can help increase the reader's trust in your findings. First, we will define and differentiate quantitative and ...

  9. How to write a methodology in 8 steps (definition and types)

    Here are 10 common types of research methodologies to consider: Quantitative research: Quantitative research focuses on collecting and analysing numerical data. There are various subtypes of quantitative research, including surveys, correlational research and experimental research.

  10. Methodology in a Research Paper: Definition and Example

    The methodology section of your research paper allows readers to evaluate the overall validity and reliability of your study and gives important insight into two key elements of your research: your data collection and analysis processes and your rationale for conducting your research.

  11. How To Write a Methodology (With Tips and FAQs)

    Here are the steps to follow when writing a methodology: 1. Restate your thesis or research problem The first part of your methodology is a restatement of the problem your research investigates. This allows your reader to follow your methodology step by step, from beginning to end.

  12. How To Write The Methodology Chapter (With Examples)

    Your methodology chapter is where you highlight the philosophical underpinnings of your research and outline the specific research design choices you've made. The point of the methodology chapter is to tell the reader exactly how you designed your research and to justify your design choices.

  13. Research Methodology

    There are two general research methodology approaches when collecting and analyzing data; these approaches are quantitative and qualitative. Selecting a research method depends on the type...

  14. How to Write Research Methodology: 13 Steps (with Pictures)

    An effective research methodology is grounded in your overall approach - whether qualitative or quantitative - and adequately describes the methods you used. Justify why you chose those methods over others, then explain how those methods will provide answers to your research questions. [1] Part 1 Describing Your Methods 1

  15. What Is a Research Methodology?

    Revised on 10 October 2022. Your research methodology discusses and explains the data collection and analysis methods you used in your research. A key part of your thesis, dissertation, or research paper, the methodology chapter explains what you did and how you did it, allowing readers to evaluate the reliability and validity of your research.

  16. A Comprehensive Guide to Research Methodology

    The research methodology is a part of your research paper that describes your research process in detail. It would help if you always tried to make the section of the research methodology enjoyable. As you describe the procedure that has already been completed, you need to write it in the past tense. Your research methodology should explain:

  17. (PDF) Chapter 3

    work, research methodology makes the right pla tform to the researcher t o mapping out the research . work in relevance to make solid plans. More over research methodolog y guides the researcher to .

  18. What is Research

    Researchers need to practice ethics and a code of conduct while making observations or drawing conclusions. The analysis is based on logical reasoning and involves both inductive and deductive methods. Real-time data and knowledge is derived from actual observations in natural settings.

  19. What is research methodology?

    The purpose of a research methodology is to explain the reasoning behind your approach to your research - you'll need to support your collection methods, methods of analysis, and other key points of your work. Think of it like writing a plan or an outline for you what you intend to do. When carrying out research, it can be easy to go off-track ...

  20. How to Choose Best Research Methodology for Your Study

    Step 2: Refer pertinent research and effectively used methodology. As there are immeasurable ways of conducting research all may not be meant for your study. Furthermore, determining the best research methodology can be difficult if you aren't aware of the approach undertaken by other researchers from your field.