How to Write a Scientific Research Methodology

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In any scientific paper, the research methodology section will be the part where you convince the reader that your research is useful and contributes to the research area. An effective research methodology should be based on a general research orientation – whether qualitative or quantitative – and adequately describe the research methods used. You need to first state your reasons for choosing your research method, and then explain how the methods will answer your research question. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Table of Contents

Description of the research method

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Recall the research problem. Begin the research methodology section by listing the problem or question you plan to research, including the hypotheses (if any) or what the research will prove. ^{[2] X Research Source}

When reiterating the research problem, include assumptions or default conditions. The research method is also expressed through these hypotheses and conditions.
In general, list the variables you will test and the conditions you control or default to being equal.

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Provide general research methods. General research methods can be qualitative or quantitative. Sometimes, you can combine both of these research directions. Give reasons for your choice. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

If you are going to study and document measurable social trends or evaluate the impact of a certain policy in different ways, apply a quantitative research approach to focus on collect and analyze data.
If you want to assess other people’s views or understandings on an issue, use qualitative research methods.
You can also combine both of these research methods. For example, you might focus on researching a certain social trend at first, and then interview and record other people’s opinions on the impact that trend has had on their lives.

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Provide methods for data collection and processing. In the research methodology section, this section will provide readers with information about the time and place of the research and basic parameters about the research context to ensure the relative objectivity of the results. get. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

For example, if conducting a survey, you would need to describe the survey questions, where and how the survey was conducted (e.g. in-person, online or by phone), the number of questionnaires and the number of questionnaires. survey and how long it takes participants to complete the survey.
Please provide details so that others in the same field can conduct a similar study even though they may not get the same results. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Provides rationale for uncommon methods. Especially in the social sciences, you may use methods that are rarely used or that seem inappropriate to the research problem. If so, you need to explain in more detail. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Qualitative research methods often require a more detailed explanation than quantitative research methods.
You don’t need a detailed explanation of the basic survey process. Often you can assume that the reader has a basic knowledge of the research methods that social scientists often use, such as surveys or research groups.

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Cite sources you refer to to select research methodology. If you refer to someone’s research to develop or apply a research methodology, discuss those studies and how you built your research. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

For example, suppose you conduct a survey and refer to some other research to write a survey question, cite those studies in the references section.

Explain the reasons for choosing the research method

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Describe the data collection criteria. When collecting key data, you need to base it on specific and reasonable criteria. State these criteria clearly and let the reader know the reasons for selection and the importance of these criteria to the study. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Describe the subjects in detail and list the inclusion or exclusion criteria that you used when selecting the study population.
State the scope of the study, if any, and describe how it affects whether the study is applicable to a larger scope. For example, if you conduct a survey of 30% of the students of one university, the research results may be applicable to students of the whole university, but not to students at other universities. .

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Eliminate the weakness of the research method. Each research method has its own strengths and weaknesses. Briefly discuss the weaknesses of your chosen research method, then explain why those weaknesses are irrelevant or nonexistent in your research. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Reading other research papers is also a good way to identify potential problems that often arise when applying different research methods. Please specify whether you actually encountered such problems during the research.

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Describe how to handle the difficulty encountered. How you overcome obstacles in your research is also one of the most important points of the methodology. Your problem-solving abilities will add credibility to your research results. ^{[10] X Research Source}

If you encounter any problems with data collection, explain in detail the steps you took to limit the impact of that problem on the results of your study.

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Evaluate other research methods you can use. Especially when you’re using an uncommon research method to research your topic, discuss other commonly used methods for researching similar topics and explain why you wouldn’t. those methods. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Sometimes, you simply need to explain because there have been many studies using the same method and no one has used the method you chose, so it is not possible to provide a comprehensive view of the research problem. .
For example, there have been many studies that use quantitative analysis to understand a particular social trend. However, there have been no studies using qualitative approaches to determine the influence of this trend on people’s lives.

Linking research methods to research goals

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Describe how to analyze research results. In general, this analysis will depend on whether you are studying qualitative, quantitative, or a combination of the two. If in the direction of quantitative research, you can use statistical analysis, but if in the direction of qualitative research, please specify the theoretical basis or philosophy that you apply. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Depending on the research question you can use both quantitative and qualitative analysis – as you can use both. For example, you can use statistical analysis, then interpret these data with some theoretical basis.

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Indicate the link between the results of the analysis and the purpose of the study. After all, your general methodology should provide answers to the research questions. If they fail to do this, you will either need to adjust your methodology or re-frame the research question. ^{[13] X Research Source}

For example, suppose you study the impact of higher education on agricultural production in the mountains. You can interview college students who were born and raised in the mountains, but the results alone won’t show the full impact. Quantitative research and statistical analysis will give you a broader view.

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Determine how the results of the analysis will answer the research questions. Contrast your methodology with the original research question and project research findings based on the analysis. You need to describe specifically how the results will answer the research questions. ^{[14] X Research Source}

If, when answering research questions, your findings suggest other questions that require further study, state these questions briefly.
You can also point out limitations in your research method or questions that the research has not answered.

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Evaluate the transferability or generalizability of research results. You can apply the results of your research to different contexts or generalize to a broader range. Social science research can be difficult to translate into another context, especially when you use qualitative research methods. ^{[15] X Research Source}

Generalization is more commonly applied to quantitative studies. If the research object design is good, you can apply the obtained statistical results to a broader audience that includes the research subjects.

Advice

Present the research methodology in chronological order, starting with a description of the steps to prepare for the implementation of the research method, how to collect the data, and how to analyze the data.

. ^{[16] X Research Source}

Write your research methodology in the past tense (for English), unless you submit the methodology section before conducting the research. ^{[17] X Research Source}
Discuss your research plan in detail with your advisor or instructor before adopting a particular methodology. They will help you identify any shortcomings that exist in the study. ^{[18] X Research Sources}
Write your methodology in the passive voice to emphasize the research activity rather than the person conducting the research. ^{[19] X Research Source}

Steps

Description of the research method

Explain the reasons for choosing the research method

Linking research methods to research goals

Advice

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