A detailed list of specific techniques, tools, approaches, and procedures important to identify a research problem and find its solution by collecting and analyzing information is called dissertation research methodology. Broadly, research methodology is of two types, qualitative as well as quantitative methodology. What will be suitable for your research depends on the objectives and expected outcomes of a research project. Even though it is selected before writing the introduction section of a dissertation, but must be placed in the third chapter. Furthermore, it is the most readable part of a research paper or dissertation. This is because it tells all essential information to other researchers to replicate and validate a scientific story. Likewise, it is important for the researcher himself to gather data or analyze it.
Things necessary for collecting data for dissertation research:
Data collection is the most crucial and time-consuming process in dissertation research. It is critical as many important decisions have to make for collecting the best quality data for research. By definition, data collection is the act of gathering all essential information that can solve a problem of interest. However, things to consider for effective data collection include sampling, sample size, sample frame, target population, a tool for collection, and medium to reach out to the target audience. Again, before making an educated decision on these vital things, you must make sure whether you are conducting qualitative or quantitative research design. However, clarity about the research objectives and focused research questions are also important in the data collection process.
Steps to use dissertation research methodology in data collection:
After understanding concepts, dissertation research methodology, and things vital to gathering data collection, experts of the best dissertation help online firm, The Academic Papers UK have formulated a few simple steps that will help you to gather data by using research methodology. Let’s take a look at how these simple steps can help you:
1. Decide whether you want to collect qualitative or qualitative study
Start making methodology by deciding whether a qualitative or quantitative research design will be more appropriate. Basically, your research problem and literature review can help you in completing the task. Furthermore, pre-defined models or frameworks for dissertations such as Saunder’s Research Onion or Six-tired Honeycomb methodology can also help you in this regard.
2. Define your target audience:
The collection of data can be done without deciding on the ideal participants of the research. Again, only research goals can help you define the target population. Let’s take an example to understand this point:
Suppose you as a medical researcher ready to find the cost-effectiveness of lifestyle modification and the use of drug therapy on the prevalence of diabetes in patients. Then, defining the target audience is not as tricky because it is obvious that you must collect data from diabetic patients, hospitals, literature, or medical centres. Thus, one or more bodies from the available options can be selected as ideal participants for giving you data.
3. Search literature to measure the correct sample size and sample frame:
Though there is a formula to calculate the sample size for data collection, you can also search the literature to decide on a sample size for your study. The use of the formula needs you to know the estimated population size, Z-score value, standard deviation value, and margin of error. If you do not have the values of all these factors, you can take an alternative approach. In academic research, you usually decide sample size in the range of 50 to 100 participants. However, the selection of sampling technique from probability or non-probability sampling is another educated decision to be made at this stage.
4. Select the tool to get responses from your audience:
Even after selecting the sample size and sampling technique, you must have to make another decision which is the selection of a tool to reach the selected participants. The available options for making this decision include interviews, observations, experiments, questionnaires, surveys, and focused groups. All these options have certain pros and cons that need to pay intention while making dissertation research methodology.
5. Follow the methodology to collect the data:
After making all these decisions, the only step left behind is the execution of the dissertation research methodology to collect real-world data. All you need to complete a process is to take a print of a research methodology and start collecting data from participants based on the decisions made in previous stages.
Final Thoughts
In a nutshell, dissertation research methodology is a short summary stating all important points specifying each vital decision necessary to collect data from participants. However, to collect data, you must contact the participants and start collecting information from them in light of the proposed dissertation research methodology.
