Specialized knowledge of Social Science Research Methods is needed for Methodology Writing

Methodology writing is a very important task in the research study process. It will drive the whole implementation process of the study and usually form the third chapter of a dissertation or research study report. Therefore, knowledge of methodology writing should be acquired by all students intending to do their degree level studies requiring a dissertation submission. Methodology outlines the study methods employed in carrying out the research and include areas such as research design, population, sample, data collection and data analysis.

Plan it Beforehand

Methodology of the dissertation study should be thought of before hand, in connection with the study questions. The research objective and study questions will guide the choice and suitability of research methods. Therefore, the methodology should be tentatively mentioned even at the research proposal writing stage. Then once the proposal is approved, you could buy essay papers online and the methodology can be written having completed the literature study of the dissertation.

What does Methodology writing Involve?

Methodology writing is not merely writing how to do, but planning it properly and in the most suitable manner, considering the study questions, the population and sample size as well as the resources at hand. A sound knowledge of research methods is required of the writer. Social science research methods and statistical and non statistical analysis methods have to be understood for a student to design a good research design and then write a good methodology based on the design. For those who do not posses good knowledge of these areas, there are simply written hand books which are easy to refer to and understand.

Sections in a Methodology Chapter

The methodology chapter is used by the writer to enumerate on the choices that are being made for the study in terms of research methods, techniques, etc. There are few sections which are common to a methodology chapter. Among them are the research design which outlines what choices you have made in terms of research methods, the techniques and analysis. This section outlines reasons for the choices and justifies these choices. The data collection is the next major section of the methodology. Data collection process includes deciding on the population, the sample size and the instrument to be used in the collection. If it’s a survey, a questionnaire is the most common instrument. These need to be tested for their validity and reliability. Refer to post on how to write methodology for further information on the different subsections.

Format of your Chapter

Research methodology format is equally important as its content. The methodology chapter will start off with a conceptual framework of your study question where a model is developed to illustrate how the study question pertains to the causal relationships between study variables. The body of the chapter will discuss various sub topics such as research design, data collection, analysis, limitations etc. The conclusion will be a brief summary of what was discussed within the chapter.

To be successful at methodology writing, gain as much as information on the topics of social science and its background as well as the different options available for conducting research. By only understanding them properly, you will be able to properly justify your selections and choices in relation to your planned dissertation study.