What Is A Dissertation Methodology Chapter?

The dissertation methodology is a critical most section of a dissertation, which is all about scientific algorithms. In order to achieve an aim for a dissertation, researcher or writer writes a methodology chapter by the use of those scientific algorithms. When a student is asked to write a dissertation methodology, he/she is supposed to let the readers know what sort of algorithm will be used in the methodology. It is necessary to choose the most suitable method to describe your research.  

If you are using a factual kind of methodology for your dissertation, it is legitimate for you to mention the kind of your research methodology, and the kind has to be clearly stated. Only the techniques which are directly linked to your dissertation must be there in your dissertation methodology. If a technique isn’t linked used directly in a dissertation, you cannot write that method or technique in your dissertation methodology chapter.  

Most of the dissertation writers try to use the work of others as a template. When you are writing a dissertation methodology, you have to be creative enough. A methodology is something that is unique, and it can’t be copied. In order to show the originality of your work, you need to write your methodology on your own. You can seek guidance regarding the structure of a research methodology chapter, but you are not allowed to copy anything.

What Is A Dissertation Methodology?

A dissertation methodology section is written right after the literature review of a dissertation in academic assignment. As far as the definition is concerned, we can define it as “the description of your chosen research methods.”  

This is the best definition of a dissertation methodology section. There are two methods that can be used for writing your dissertation methodology. You can either use qualitative methods or quantitative methods. If you think a mixture of both of these methods can get you t the results, you can use a mixture of both qualitative and quantitative methods.

How much should I write?

There isn’t a limit to writing a dissertation methodology. You can write as much as you can, but you need to keep one thing in mind that your dissertation methodology must look focused on the subject. If you are thinking about the length of a dissertation methodology, it is your choice. Make sure to describe all the methods you have used in your research and for this purpose, and you can consume as many pages as needed.  

If you think two or three techniques will be good enough to write your dissertation methodology chapter, you are wrong. All the techniques that are related to you, and that can give you the desired results can be used in a dissertation methodology. It is suggested to write about those techniques first, which are more related to your topic. Writing a dissertation methodology chapter will take time and effort, which is why we suggest our readers be patient while writing this chapter for your dissertation. It isn’t a healthy approach to look for someone who can write this chapter for you because you are the only one who can do justice as far as a dissertation methodology section is concerned.

What has to be in this chapter?

All the techniques you have used in your research must be there in your dissertation methodology chapter. Actually, this chapter will tell your reader how efficiently you have conducted the research. All the truthfulness of your research will depend on this chapter. It is compulsory to write this chapter immediately after a review of the literature to make the readers aware of your research.

How to write a dissertation methodology?  

Writing a dissertation methodology isn’t a child’s play. A lot of techniques are involved in writing a dissertation methodology. If you are looking to know how to write a dissertation methodology, this guide will help you a lot. Here is something you can follow to write a stunning methodology for your dissertation:

Explain methodological approaches

At first, make sure to define the approach you have used to conduct your research. Defining of approach is a crucial most task of a dissertation methodology writing section. The research question you have investigated must be explained in your dissertation methodology. What kind of data you have gathered during your research is another question that needs to be answered while writing a dissertation methodology section.  

As we have explained earlier in this guide, there is the use of two methods. Either there will be a qualitative method or a quantitative method. Let’s study both of these methods in detail.

• Quantitative method

This kind of method is mostly used for surveys. Quantitative methods are useful for measuring, ranking, categorizing, identifying patterns, and making generalizations. If your research is a survey-based, quantitative methods will be more appropriate.  

• Qualitative methods

This kind of method is used for interviews. Qualitative methods are used for describing, interpreting, contextualizing, and gaining in-depth insight into specific concepts or phenomena. If your research is interview-based, qualitative methods will be more appropriate.  

• A mixture of both

If you are working on a numerical measurement or you are up to in-depth exploration, a mixture of both qualitative and quantitative can get the job done for you.

Give a recap of your research question

When you are writing a methodology for your dissertation, you should look to answer your research question. Keeping in mind the nature of your research question, you should come up with some methods you have used that have provided you with the desired results.  

When you are introducing your research methodology, you need to recall or restate the research question. Restatement doesn’t mean word-to-word restatement of a research question. You just need to let the reader know that this research question has been dealt with using certain methods. The method which you are going to explain must be related to your research question.  

The background and rationale of your design

A methodology isn’t all about the description of your method; you need to discuss why you have chosen the topic and why you have selected the chosen method for this research question. As you are the researcher, it is your responsibility to explain why you thought the chosen method would bring positive and much-needed results.  

By doing this, you cannot only make a mark on your readers on the basis of your dissertation methodology, but you will be able to present this section as innovative as possible. You should also ensure that you relate the rationale for your method explicitly to your research problem; it should be clear and unambiguous. After reading your dissertation methodology, your reader must feel that the method is thoughtful to give the answer to the research question.  

Describe your methods of data collection

Once you have successfully introduced your dissertation methodology, it is suggested to describe the methods you have used during your research to collect data. Either you have used some tools, procedures, or materials, you need to write in your dissertation methodology section because writing about the data collection methods is a part of this chapter.  

If your dissertation is based on surveys, you need to explain each and every point of your survey in your dissertation methodology that how you have collected data for your survey. If your dissertation is based on interviews, the method you have used to collect data for your interviews must be there in your dissertation methodology.

Structuring your methodology

It is suggested to create a conceptual framework in order to write your dissertation methodology. When you are making a conceptual framework for your dissertation methodology, you plan to operate with reference to the key texts on that approach.  

When you are creating a structure for your methodology, you need to be sure about the strengths and weaknesses of your methodology. Explain to your audience that in what regards your methodology has proved amazing and in what regards you have experienced some issues. Your strengths will tell the readers how successfully you have conducted your research and how amazing your results are. The weaknesses of your methodology will enable people to plan their research in a better way. You should also note any issues of which to be aware, for example, in sample selection or to make your findings more relevant.

After doing this, the next thing you need to do is to move on to discuss your research question. When you are writing a dissertation methodology, you need to explain how you will discuss that research question and what steps you will take to cover that topic.  

Once you have chosen a research method for your dissertation methodology, you need to make sure it is supported by your literature. In order to write a flawless dissertation methodology, you need to state whether your method is “tried and tested,” or it is a lot more experimental in nature. The gain you have during your dissertation or research must be there in your discussion chapter.  

The basic aim of your research should be to see whether your research methods are good enough to work in all circumstances, or they are just good at some points. In order to conclude your dissertation methodology, you can summarize the underpinning approach. The challenges you have faced during your research must be there in your dissertation methodology. It is suggested to visit those areas in your discussion, but it is your decision whether you want to discuss in your methodology or not.

What are the types of methodology for the secondary research dissertation?

Empirical and theoretical are two general categories of writing a dissertation methodology. Whether you will use empirical or theoretical will be based on the type of your dissertation. Make sure to get to know about the nature of your dissertation and then select a suitable type that can cover all the basics of your research question. In order to understand both empirical and theoretical methods, you need to study both of them in detail to make a decision about the selection of one.  

Theoretical methods

As far as the theoretical methods are concerned, these are more generalized and abstract. There are so many categories you can use in order to run your scientific research like axiomatic, formalization, dissertation abstract, and general logical methods. General logical methods include logical analysis, cognitive synthesis, necessary deduction, and analogy.

Empirical methods

When we need to investigate the practical side of a topic, the use of empirical methods is best. The most important thing while conducting research is the collection of data. After the collection of data, it would be easy to identify and describe the process of data collection. There are so many things that are involved in an empirical method, and some of them are observation, qualitative comparison, accurate measurement, and unique experiment.

Cognition and activity play a major role as far as observations are concerned in order to observe something, the human need to use all of their senses. The use of primitive and reflexive senses can get the job done as far as observations are concerned. When you use your sense to get results, those results will be error-free. The results will not have any sort of business. Comparison is another technique that can be sued to find similarities and differences. If you are good at measurements, you can use numerical values to find unknown quantities.  

These techniques must be used in your research to write a fantastic dissertation methodology. It has been studied that the questionnaire shows better results when students are dealing with research papers or dissertations.

Tips for writing a strong methodology

If you think the only description of your methods will get you to the desired grade, it is not the case. You need to answer why you have selected specific research methods for your research question. There are some tips that can help your writing your dissertation methodology section in a better way. Some of the essential tips are given below:

Focus on your objective

It is necessary and paramount to keep your focus on your research question. Make sure to explain how your selected methods have enabled you to achieve success. You need to make your audience believe that you have used the most suitable approach to answer your research question. As long as you are focusing on the objective of your dissertation or research, results will come in your favor.  

Cite your sources

It is legitimate to cite the sources when you are writing a methodology for your dissertation. Citing a source is an ethical requirement that every student is bound to. You can strengthen your dissertation methodology by citing the relevant sources. When you are citing the sources for your dissertation methodology, make sure to explain that you took a methodological approach to address the gap in the literature.  

There are certain citation styles available in the market. The use of a specific citation style will be based on the requirements of your supervisor and institution. If your institute wants you to follow MLA format or APA format, you are supposed to follow one. MLA and APA are the most used formats for citing the sources.

Know your audience

It is significant to know your audience not in dissertation writing but in any form of writing. You need to add data in your dissertation methodology, keeping in mind the nature of your audience. If you are using simple methods, you don’t need to explain those methods to your audience. If you think there are some terminologies that need an explanation, make sure to explain those. Make sure to use very clear language, so all of your readers can easily understand your dissertation methodology. If they are unable to understand your methodology, you cannot grab their attention.  

Discuss obstacles

When you are doing a certain task, there are some hardships and obstacles that you face. It is a healthy approach to write about the obstacles you have faced during your research and how you managed to find a way in the worst circumstances. Make sure to explain how you managed to minimize the impacts of those obstacles. It is your duty to present your research methodology as rigorously as possible.

CaseProfessors have written this blog to make sure you get all the nitty-gritty about a dissertation methodology. It is not an easy task to write this chapter, but a bit of attention can get the job done. If you are still unsure about this chapter of your dissertation, you can ask us to write this chapter or even the entire dissertation for you. Our writers are skillful and experienced enough to write a dissertation for you that can tick all the boxes. Our services are available for our clients 24/7. You just need to place your order, and we’ll write your dissertation at will.