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Shape Your Thesis: Writing Up The Method Section For Qualitative Studies

Shape Your Thesis: Writing Up The Method Section For Qualitative Studies

As opposed to that of quantitative research, qualitative research focuses on the factors rather than describing the numerical data. There is no single qualitative method, rather a number of research methods fall under the roof of qualitative methods. The various domains, especially social science disciplines often tend to have different conventions on the best practice in qualitative research.

No matter which domain your research belong to, the research paper will definitely consist of a method section specifying, an appropriate sample recruitment strategy, sample size, and also an analytical strategy. As per the expert thesis proposal writers, qualitative research includes non-probability sampling. The unit of research may incorporate one or a combination of events, people, samples of natural behaviour, conversations, written or visual material, and many more. This section is basically called as ‘principle of selection.’ In this section:

  • The selection of these (events, people, etc) must be theoretically justified. For example, it must be made clear how the respondent was selected.
  • There must be a rationale for the sources of the data. For example, participants, settings, documents etc.
  • Consideration must be given to whether the sources of data (e.g people, events, organisations, documents) were unusual in some vital way.
  • Limitations of the data should be discussed. For example, the reason for non-response etc.

Basically, a qualitative research paper includes: data collection and data analysis section. In the data collection section describe the methods you have used to collect data for your research paper. Such as  survey method, observational or case studies approach. Include specific information pertaining to how many participants were present, the demographic information for each of the participants and how the information was verified.

Tip: According to the research consultants offering PhD thesis proposal writing service, some of the popular data collection methods are:

  1. Interviews – Interviews can be further divided into individual & focus groups.
  2. Participant observation – This process ranges from mostly observing to participating.
  3. Open-ended survey – This process gives an opportunity for participants to give detailed answers.

Data collection section should be followed by the data analysis section. The process of analysis should be made as crystal clear and transparent to help the readers gain clarity of the procedure you have followed. Describe the process of compilation of data, their organisation and how the conclusion was drawn.And also, how were the themes/concepts and categories generated from the data.  For example, if you have organised focus group interview, mention how you have organised the interview, compiled the obtained data, and how you have organised the obtained answers.

Now that you have learnt how to write a method section in a qualitative research paper, get your sleeves folded and get going. If need any assistance with the writing process, consult a team of writers offering affordable PhD thesis proposal writing service.

Guidelines to Abide for Effective Thesis Synopsis Writing

Guidelines to Abide for Effective Thesis Synopsis Writing

Undoubtedly, a synopsis form an integral part of a thesis that defines the future course of actions taken for research. It ensures that the review committee gets a clear picture of the proposed research and spots the gap established.

Writing a synopsis must be given due time, thought and necessary attention to specifications required. While writing your thesis synopsis, ensure the following:  

    1. It offers a comprehensive overview of  research areas which have been investigated
    1. It helps in verbalizing the idea of the thesis.
  1. It helps you to focus and structure the thesis.

A thesis synopsis should be brief but precise. Adopt these tried and tested guidelines to deliver a structured thesis synopsis:  

Introduction:

This section states the core research questions and all the important background facts throughout the procedure. It must clearly state the purpose of the study.

Title:

The title reflects the objective of the research. The title of the synopsis and title of the thesis shall be invariably the same. The title must include a creative or unique element and should not be either too long nor too short.

Aims and objectives:

Research consists of objectives and aims pertaining to the study problem. Usages of terms like “the first study”, “the only study”, etc. should be avoided.

Hypothesis:

The problem being studied should be mentioned in precise and clear terms. The hypothesis can be formulated by understanding the problem, reviewing the literature on it, and considering other factors.

Literature review:

A review of the relevant literature is another very important part of the synopsis. It shows the work done previously in the area of proposed research and assists in identifying various variables in the research project and conceptualizes their relationship.

Research methodology:

In synopsis, the research methodology describes a method which may be intended for use in the research. The methodology should cover the following aspects:

    • Sources of data (Primary or Secondary)
    • The survey, questionnaires, observation, case studies, portfolios, books, journals, periodicals, abstracts, indexes, directories, research reports, conference papers, online databases, the Internet, videos & broadcasts.  
    • Sample size
    • Data Collection Techniques
  • Analysis of Data

Results:

Briefly mention the key findings of your study

Conclusion:

This section includes the inference obtained, significant contributions of the research and shortcomings of the research.

Reference and bibliography:

In the end, a synopsis contains a list of references and a bibliography written in a standard pattern. Each and every aspect such as the name of the author, publication year, title, the title of journal/series, page number needs to be included.

The format for writing a synopsis varies from University to University and among disciplines. Above is the outline of how the thesis synopsis should look like. The synopsis is an important part of the thesis that cannot be taken lightly. It contains crucial chapters like literature review, research methodology, reference lists, with each having its own significance.

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