Advice on How to Work on the Methodology of a Research Paper

The methodology section of an academic study explains the rationale for application of particular techniques or procedures used to identify, choose, and analyze the information applied to comprehending the research problem. Consequently, it allows your readers to critically evaluate the overall reliability and validity of your study. The methodology in research paper aims to answer two questions:

  • How did you collect or generate the data used in the analysis?
  • How did you analyze the data?

Remember to write in a direct and very precise way, and always write the methodology section the past tense.

  • The Content
    Begin by introducing the general methodological approach for investigating the problem you are researching. You should always remember to indicate how the methodological approach aligns with the overall study design. You also need to explain the specific methods or techniques that you employed when collecting data and explain how you analyzed the data you collected. In addition, you must provide a rationale and background for the methods that your readers may not be familiar with. Furthermore, remember to include a justification for the selection of subjects as well as sampling procedures. Lastly, include a discussion of potential limitations that may affect data collection and how you intend to control for possible confounding errors and variables.
  • What you should avoid
    Although the methodology in research paper should be thorough, it needs to be very precise and devoid of irrelevant details. Do not include any background details that do not directly aid the reader in understanding why a certain technique was used. Similarly, avoid including an unnecessary explanations for basic procedures or methods. You should assume that the readers already have some basic understanding of the methods used to investigate the problem under inquiry. The main focus should be on how you went about applying a technique or procedure.

In summary, writing a methodology section of a study does not have to be a problem if you know exactly what is required and you understand the purpose of the methodology section. First you need to understand that the purpose of this section is to show how you collected or generated the data used in the analysis and how you analyzed that data. Next you need to understand what is required in the content of the methodology and some of the common mistakes you need to avoid. You can also visit this website for more tips and guidelines.