Centre for Project Management
Writing the Research
Methodology
Dr Íde O’Sullivan, Lawrence Cleary
Shannon Consortium Regional Writing Centre
Methodology and
research design
• “A thesis focuses on a central
question and is unified by that focus”
(Murray 2006: 123).
• NB: Methodology and objectives
– Project objectives and
methodology used to achieve
objectives
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Methodology and
research design
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Introduction
Literature Review
Methodology
Results and discussion
Conclusions
Appendices
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Methodology and
research design
• In the methodology section, two main
issues are addressed:
– The methods used to gather data
– The methods used to analyse the data
• How were your results obtained and how
did you came to the conclusions put forth?
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Methodology and
research design
Justification
• Why and how did you choose the
targeted population/sample?
• Why did you choose the particular
method?
• Is the methodology appropriate to
your field of study?
• Is the methodology appropriate to
the objectives of the study?
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Methodology and
research design
Justification
• Methods affect results
• Methods affect validity and
reliability
• Methods affect conclusions
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Methods affect results
• Research method affects:
– data the researcher records about
the phenomenon
– the sorts of phenomena that can be
studied
– the sorts of understanding of the
phenomenon that the researcher is
likely to arrive at
– the sorts of knowledge claims they
will be able to sustain
(Guba & Lincoln 1994 in Nandhakumar 2003)
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Methodology and
research design
• Ultimately, your methodology
section(s) should
– Define and explain your method,
your theoretical approach, naming
your instrument (e.g. Case study,
interview, etc.)
– Show links between your method
and others
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Methodology and
research design
• Ultimately, your methodology
section(s) should
– Justify your choice of methods
– Report what you plan to do
– Show how you will select and
analyse the data and how you will
document it
– Say what you expect to find
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Writing prompt
• If you were to think about your main
question and your sub-questions,
what methods will you employ to
answer each question?
• If you haven’t figured out what
questions you are asking, do some
backward engineering.
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Organising the
methodology section(s)
• How will you logically organise the
information in this section?
• How will you organise your text in
each section?
• Will you organise the methods around
the questions? Or around the
methodological type?
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Questions your methodology
section should answer
• Why will the data be admissible?
• Why is your choice of measuring
instrument appropriate to your context
/ to the data you are aiming to
retrieve?
• By what criteria will you measure the
validity of your measuring instruments?
• How do we know that your method will
yield reliable data?
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Valid, reliable information
• “Sometimes there is universal agreement
that a particular instrument provides a
valid instrument for measuring a particular
characteristic. We could all agree that a
ruler measures length, a thermometer
measures temperature, and a barometer
measures air pressure. But whenever we do
not have such universal agreement, we
must provide evidence that an instrument
we are using has validity for our purpose”
(Leedy and Ormrod, 2005: 92).
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Conclusion
• As you write, your organisation may
change.
• However, dissertations are thesis
driven. Your question strongly
influences the organisation of your
research methodology.
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Sources
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• Leedy, P.D. and Ormrod, J.E. (2005) Practical Research:
Planning and Design, 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.:
Pearson
• Murray, R. (2005) Writing for Academic Journals. UK: Open
University Press.
• Murray, R. (2006) How to Write a Thesis, 2nd ed.
Maidenhead, England: Open University Press.
• Nandhakumar, J. (2003) Interpreting Information Systems:
A reflexive account of grounded theory analysis [ppt.
online], available:
http://project.hkkk.fi/gebsi/files/nav_activities/material/
Nandhakumar_slides.pdf [accessed 20 Aug 2009].
• UEfAP.com (2008) Writing: Rhetorical Functions, Comparing
and Contrasting Exercise 2 [online], available:
http://www.uefap.com/writing/exercise/function/compcon2
.htm [accessed Aug 20 2009].
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Peer Review
Writing a ‘page 98 paper’
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Early: to establish direction/focus
Associate your project with the literature
Distinguish your project from the literature
Build on research question/hypothesis
Focus reading/thinking
Manageable writing task: 325 words
To develop thinking about your thesis thesis?
Late: to focus thinking as you draft conclusion
and revise your introduction
(Murray, 2006: 105)
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Writing a ‘page 98 paper’
• My research question is … (50 words)
• Researchers who have looked at this
subject are … (50 words)
• They argue that … (25 words)
• Debate centres on the issue of … (25
words)
• There is work to be done on … (25 words)
• My research is closest to that of X in that
… (50 words)
• My contribution will be … (50 words)
(Murray, 2006: 104)
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