Page 155 - DLIS401_METHODOLOGY_OF_RESEARCH_AND_STATISTICAL_TECHNIQUES

Methodology of Research and Statistical Techniques

Notes • Failing to cite influential papers,

• Failing to keep up with recent developments,
• Failing to critically evaluate cited papers,

• Citing irrelevant or trivial references,
• Depending too much on secondary sources.
Your scholarship and research competence will be questioned if any of the above applies to
your proposal.
There are different ways to organize your literature review. Make use of subheadings to bring
order and coherence to your review. For example, having established the importance of your
research area and its current state of development, you may devote several subsections on
related issues as: theoretical models, measuring instruments, cross-cultural and gender differences,
etc.

It is also helpful to keep in mind that you are telling a story to an audience. Try to tell it in
a stimulating and engaging manner. Do not bore them, because it may lead to rejection of your
worthy proposal.

11.3 Methods Designing

The Method section is very important because it tells your Research Committee how you plan
to tackle your research problem. It will provide your work plan and describe the activities
necessary for the completion of your project.
The guiding principle for writing the Method section is that it should contain sufficient information
for the reader to determine whether methodology is sound. Some even argue that a good
proposal should contain sufficient details for another qualified researcher to implement the
study.

Did u know? You need to demonstrate your knowledge of alternative methods and make
the case that your approach is the most appropriate and most valid way to
address your research question.

Please note that your research question may be best answered by qualitative research. However,
since most mainstream psychologists are still biased against qualitative research, especially
the phenomenological variety, you may need to justify your qualitative method.
Furthermore, since there are no well-established and widely accepted canons in qualitative
analysis, your method section needs to be more elaborate than what is required for traditional
quantitative research. More importantly, the data collection process in qualitative research has
a far greater impact on the results as compared to quantitative research. That is another reason
for greater care in describing how you will collect and analyze your data.
For quantitative studies, the method section typically consists of the following sections:

1. Design - Is it a questionnaire study or a laboratory experiment? What kind of design do
you choose?
2. Subjects or participants - Who will take part in your study ? What kind of sampling
procedure do you use?

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