Writing Research

Report

Methodology
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Research begins by asking the right

questions and choosing an
appropriate method to investigate
the problem. After collecting
answers to your questions, you can
analyze the findings or
observations to draw reasonable
conclusions.
 2 types of method
Qualitative methods is a Quantitative methods
method that collects data deal with numbers and
using conversational measurable forms. It
methods, usually open- uses a systematic way of
ended questions. The investigating events or
responses collected are data. It answers
essentially non-numerical. questions to justify
This method helps a relationships with
researcher understand measurable variables to
what participants think either explain, predict, or
and why they think in a control a phenomenon.
particular way.
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Qualitative Techniques or Tools (1)

Focus groups: with

Interviews: these can several participants
be structured, semi- discussing a particular
structured or topic or a set of
unstructured in-depth questions. Researchers
sessions with the can be facilitators or
researcher and a observers.
participant.
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Qualitative Techniques or Tools (2)

4. Document analysis:
Interrogation of
correspondence (letters,
3. Observations: On-site,
diaries, emails etc) or
in-context or role-play
reports
options.
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Quantitative Techniques or Tools

Surveys or Observation: which Experiments:
questionnaires: can either involve testing hypotheses
which ask the same counting the number in laboratories,
questions to large of times a specific testing cause and
numbers of phenomenon occurs, effect relationships,
participants or or the coding of through field
use Likert scales observational data in experiments, or via
which measure order to translate it quasi- or natural
opinions as into numbers. experiments.
numerical data..
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And tables to compare data
It is essential to ensure that your data is:
 Valid – founded, logical, rigorous, and impartial.
 Accurate – free of errors and including required details.
 Reliable – other people who investigate in the same way can
produce similar results.
 Timely – current and collected within an appropriate time
frame.
 Complete – includes all the data you need to support your
business decisions.
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Sample Methodology
For the purposes of this research, the writer has decided to use a
combination of two of the classic social sciences research tools –
questionnaires and interviews (Winchester, 1999; Sarantakos,
2013; Silverman, 2004; Greenfield, 2002). The questionnaires
will be distributed among managers from several companies
which have used art elements as part of their management
techniques, as well as among carefully selected employees of the
same companies, who form part of the team of the same
managers. As a complementary method, the writer conducted
interviews with an equal number of representatives of each
group. The advantages and disadvantages of each method are
discussed below.
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Data Collection
Most of the communication with the participants took place via email.
Before that however, the author created a large database of companies,
which met the research criteria using a simple google search. The
author purposefully targeted smaller organizations, because the
probability of being granted access to employees was higher, and the
process – less time-consuming, which turned out to be the case. At first
the writer contacted via the phone relevant people from each company,
to make them acquainted with the purposes of the research and to ask
for permission to conduct the research with representatives from their
companies.
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Methods of Data Analysis

The analysis of the questionnaire results took place via thematic
analysis. Because of the small number of respondents and the diverse
design and answer sets of the questions, and because of the qualitative
research approach of the study, the author did not use any of the
statistical software available such as SPSS or STRATA.

The results of the interviews were also analyzed manually, where the
author aimed to detect common words, phrases, and group or “cloud”
them together, in order to be able to determine trends and tendencies in
the answers of the respondents.
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OUTLINE of a METHODOLOGY
Sample: 
Who are the participants?
What’s the population?
Detailed description
Methods
Which method? (Questionnaire/Interview)
Which parts are included? For what purposes?
Procedure
Describe the steps of delivering the surveys and
collecting the data
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Academic Phrases to write the

Methodology

➜ http://www.ref-n-write.com/trial/research-paper-
sample-writing-methods-section-academic-
phrasebank-vocabulary/
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Hello, is it me (the data)

you’re looking for?