How to write a Research Methodology

How to write a Research Methodology

Whether your research project has given important results and points of view or not, you can write a strong technically document. The key to writing high quality work is to be meticulous and concise and include all major sections, including methodology. The methodology is the section of the document which describes the objectives of the experiment and the methods applied to achieve those objectives. So that you know more about the best way to go about doing so we, OneHowTo, will now explain in detail how to write a research methodology.

Steps to follow:
1

Write a short introduction to the methodology section as a whole. The introduction should set targets for experimental research (or reiterate briefly if they have been covered in a previous section), and should suggest different obstacles that may stand in the way of achieving these objectives. This general introduction should ideally be comprised of one paragraph and should have its own heading.

2

Write a summary of your research methodology. Again, this section should be relatively short, but can be longer than the introduction. The quick summary should cover all the major components of the methods that you used to conduct your research, omitting all the minor details. As you type, keep in mind that the purpose of this summary is to inform readers who will not read the extended version of the methodology which will be written below. This section should also have its own header.

3

Start describing the methodology with a new header. The first part of the extended methodology should address methods of data collection. This section should be thorough, but not too long, and must describe in precise terms all methods used to achieve the research goals through data collection. You can include multiple paragraphs within this section, such as materials, participants, duration of research and step by step procedures.

4

Next in the expanded methodology writing will be the section dedicated to data analysis. As in the section on data collection, these paragraphs should cover all details of the system or approach that was used to draw meaningful conclusions from the data we have collected. Subtitles may also be appropriate for this section, but the subtitle types you use depend entirely on the subject matter of the investigation.

5

Correct and edit your work. Be sure to include the methodology as its own section or chapter in the table of contents of the research document. Remember that the methodology should go together with the research introduction.

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Tips
  • Write in the past tense.
  • When writing a research paper for a class, always refer to the specific style and composition guidelines given by the person responsible for the class. Although most research papers follow a common formula there are several schools of thought on some of the finer points