What is Research Methodology?

Posted by Anu Kumar on May 28th, 2021

What is research methodology? It is "the process of selecting appropriate data and methods to achieve a specific objective". The methodology is "a general approach to any area of research which employs various methods to select appropriate data and make meaningful analysis of the data. The discipline is broad in scope and includes many different types of research ranging from cultural studies to industrial research".

So, what is this all about? To explain the importance of a sound methodology you must first explain what research is, the purpose of any study, and the various techniques used to conclude. In short, the methodology is an evaluation of the various methods that were used to reach a particular result and then choosing the most appropriate.

As far as research methodology is concerned there are two main categories; deductive and inductive. Deductive methods are usually the most common and use information from a source. One example of such a deduction is from a book or other source and then applying that information to a situation, case, or piece of information.

Inductive methods are less commonly used but still exist. They use only a single item from a given set as the basis for a particular result. Two examples of this are the use of polls and questionnaires and computer software designed to collect data. These two main categories of research methodology all have different aims and therefore have different methods of analysis. Some researchers may concentrate on one area whereas others may choose to focus on two or more areas.

A good methodology chapter should not just describe what the various methods are but should also discuss the limitations of each method. This is important because obviously each has limitations and some methods can be used more effectively than others. A discussion of these limitations is also useful in showing why a specific methodology has been chosen and how it differs from the other methods. For instance, a poll may be better at finding public opinion but it may not capture the true public mood. Likewise, a questionnaire can ask a large number of questions and may produce a wide range of results. Both kinds of surveys can produce a lot of variabilities so it is important to discuss these limitations before choosing a specific research methodology.

A good research methodology chapter should also explain what types of people should be considered for analysis. There are three broad categories of individuals who could potentially be studied. These are the researcher itself, the subjects and the other parties involved in the research. It is important to include a brief discussion of these three groups in the research methodology section.

Finally, the research methodology chapter should describe what it is doing. It should clearly point out what the purpose is, what the limitations are and what the strengths are of the different methods. It should point out the limitations and strengths of the different methods and provide a full assessment of the methods. By doing so, a good research methodology chapter will help participants understand what they should expect and what they should do next.

The other thing that the chapter should point out is that even though a survey might produce detailed results, these results might be skewed due to certain factors. For example, a qualitative methodology might be more appropriate when studying the opinions of random people rather than those that have been selected for participation. Thus, the overall sample might be larger. Likewise, using quantitative measures to study any specific issue can be biased since people with an income similar to the subjects might skew the results too much towards that income bracket. A qualitative methodology on the other hand would be more appropriate for cases wherein actual quantitative data has been collected, such as in a real-world example.