The Concept of Methodology in Dissertation Writing

Dissertation Writing Methodology

If you have been assigned a dissertation writing task by the teacher, you must take it seriously and follow the guidelines and the instructions that have been provided to do a good job on it. It is because your good grades and academic success depend on how well you take this task and impress the teachers with your hard work and effort. Writing a dissertation can be a lengthy and time-consuming process and involves working on each section to come up with highly meaningful and interesting research. When working on the dissertation, you will have to discuss the method you have used to undertake the research.  The methodology or methods section explains what you did and how you did it; this allows the readers to evaluate the reliability and validity of your research. According to dissertation writing services, the research section should include:

  • The type of research you did
  • How you collected and/or selected your data
  • How you analyzed your data
  • Any tools or materials you used in the research
  • Your rationale for choosing these methods

It is important to note that the methodology section should generally be written in the past tense as it discusses what has already taken place. Here you are taking the readers on that path and giving them a sneak peek into what went into this research and how you acquired the results.

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What Is Methodology All About?

The methodology is “‘a contextual framework’ for research, a coherent and logical scheme that is based on views, beliefs, and values, that guides the choices researchers make”. It comprises the theoretical analysis of the body of methods and principles associated with a branch of knowledge such that the methodologies employed from differing disciplines vary depending on their historical development. This creates a range of methodologies that stretch across competing understandings of how knowledge and reality are best understood.

It is important to keep in mind that a methodology does not set out to provide solutions – it is, therefore, not the same as a method. On the contrary, a methodology offers a theoretical perspective for understanding which method, set of methods, or best practices can be applied to the research question(s) at hand. It makes use of the specific procedures or techniques for identifying, selecting, processing and analyzing information about a topic. In a research paper or a dissertation, the methodology section allows the reader to critically evaluate a study’s overall validity and reliability. The methodology section addresses the two main questions; how was the data collected or generated and how was it analyzed?

How The Methodology Should Be Presented:

In any dissertation type, the methodology must establish clear connections between your question, existing information in this field, and the method that you are using to come to valuable conclusions. Common types of research methods include interviews, observations, questionnaires as well as document analysis. This important thesis chapter should include the following:

  • Research question
  • Description of the method or design
  • Rationale and background for your choice
  • Evaluation

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What To Include In Methodology?

If you are writing the dissertation in sections, use the methodology section to set the research goals and explain what you intend to do in the research before you undertake it. It is best to link your methodology back to the literature to explain why you have chosen the specific methods. When submitting a single thesis, this section should explain what you did. It is necessary to ensure that your methodology has a clear academic justification of all the research choices you make and you link it back to literature or sources.

Significance Of Research Methodology In Dissertation Writing:

As a researcher, you must design a methodol­ogy for the problem chosen. You should note that even if the method considered in the two problems are the same, the methodology may be different. It is important to know that not only the research methods necessary for the research undertaken but also the methodology play a significant role and must be worked out the right way.

You need to know how to calculate mean, variance, and distribution function for a set of data, how to find a solution of a physical system described by a mathematical model, how to determine the roots of algebraic equations, and how to apply a particu­lar method. You also need to know which is a suitable method for the chosen problem, what is the order of accuracy of the result of a method, and what is the efficiency of the method, and so on. Considering these aspects will help to establish research methodology the right way.