Methodology

One of the most important elements of any research paper is the methodology. Methodology is a fancy term for explaining your research method, or the process you use to answer your research question. There are different types of methodologies, so you should always choose one that best answers your research question. When describing your methodology, you will need to define it, describe it, and justify it in your research paper's abstract.

Methodology Definition

When you hear the word “methodology,” it might sound intimidating! But it's really just a fancy word referring to an explanation of your research methods.

When describing your methodology, explain what you will do to answer your research question and how you will accomplish it.

You need to develop a method before you sink.

Methodology Examples

In an abstract, you will need to explain your methodology. Some examples of explaining your methodology include the ways you collected and analysed data (such as through surveys), the type of research you chose, and your rationale behind the methodology.

Below are some examples of methodology. As you read through each one, think about what you would have to know about your research plan to describe it similarly.

Methodology Types

Your methodology is unique to your paper topic, but it will largely fall into one of 4 types: qualitative, quantitative, mixed, or creative.

Which type of methodology you choose will depend on:

• Your research question
• Your field of research
• Your purpose for research

The Four Types of Methodology

Look over the table below for an overview of the different types of methodology. There are also some examples of methodology that can be used to structure your arguments.

Choosing Your Methodology

To choose your methodology, follow this process: determine your approach to answering your research question, determine the type of methodology you need, try different methods, and narrow down your choices. Consider your project's time, space, and resource limitations before making a final decision.

Need help? Follow the step-by-step below to choose your methodology:

Step 1. Determine Your Approach

Every research project is guided by a research question.

You may have a general idea of your research question, but it helps to write it out. Use this question to identify your approach. Maybe you are trying to explore patterns, explain a concept, or create a new design. Looking at your research question, ask yourself, "What am I trying to do with this research?"

Different Approaches

Explore: This is a non-experimental approach. You aren't experimenting with ideas so much as trying to understand them more deeply. When you explore a topic, you examine an aspect of it, look for themes, or identify variables. If your topic is not very widely known, you might be exploring it!

Explain. This is an experimental approach. You are describing connections between groups or variables. You are looking to see if things are connected in a way we don't already know. If a topic is already well-known, but you are trying to prove a specific aspect or connection, you might be explaining!

Create. This approach is a creative process rather than an attempt to explain or explore a concept. With this approach, you design a solution to a problem, establish a need, and describe how your solution meets that need. If you are coming up with an entirely new process or design, you might be creating!

Are you exploring something in your paper?

Step 2: Choose a Method Type

Your approach determines which type of method you need. Use the flowchart and guidance below to determine which type of method you need:

• If you are exploring, you likely need to use a qualitative approach to understand your topic on a deeper level.
  • Ask yourself, "Do I also need numerical data to explore this?" If the answer is yes, you should use mixed methods, combining both qualitative and quantitative methods.

• If you are explaining, you likely need numerical or factual data to describe connections between things.
  • This means you should use quantitative methods. Ask yourself, "Do I also need to analyze people's words and experiences to explain this topic?" If the answer is yes, you should use mixed methods.

• If you are creating, you probably need to use creative methods to develop and describe your idea.
  • Ask yourself, "Do I also need to examine numerical data or people's words and experiences to create this idea?" If the answer is yes, you should use mixed methods, combining creative methods with either quantitative or qualitative methods.

Step 3. Try Different Methods

Once you know which type of method you need, it's time to decide on the specifics. Exactly what methods within that type do you need?

Write down a few ideas. For example, if you need qualitative methods, you might consider interviewing people, analyzing texts, or conducting open-ended surveys. Don't limit yourself! This is the experimental phase. Write down as many possibilities as you can think of.

Be focused for your audience.

Back It Up with Research

To justify your methods, you also need to clarify how your methods align with the best practices in the field you are studying. To justify your methods, you might include any of the following information:

• Which other researchers have used similar methods to study this topic or a closely related topic.
• Whether your methods are standard practice in your field of study.
• How your methods align with industry standards (this is particularly helpful for creative methods).