The thesis methodology is a section of a dissertation that outlines the research and data collection methods used. The thesis methodology section of most dissertations describes the researcher’s specific steps or procedures for testing a hypothesis or confirming results. This includes the statistical analysis method used to assess the data. The methodology you use for your dissertation is determined by the type of data you have gathered. Generally, you should select the most practical and convenient research methods.
The first step in the research process is to gather background information on the topic. This usually entails going to the library and looking for published articles and papers that are relevant to your thesis. Primary sources and interviews contain useful information and serve as a starting point for expanding and contributing additional knowledge to the subject area through research. Research that does not add anything new or unique to the field is generally considered useless and will not be accepted by a dissertation committee.
It’s time to conduct field research after you’ve studied the background information and created a thesis. Your approach will be determined by the thesis’s nature and the research’s goal. If a hypothesis is being considered, an experiment to test it should usually be planned. When you need the input of a large number of people, you should conduct a survey. A case study is useful for studying the behavior of a small group of people.
The methodology section of your thesis should explain why you chose a specific research method and what data you obtained from it. In some cases, one method is sufficient for gathering data, while in others, two or more methods are required. Each method should have a clear rationale for its use, as well as how it was implemented. Other researchers will be able to replicate the study if they have a step-by-step account of the procedure.
In addition to the methods, the thesis methodology explains the statistical tools that were used to analyze the research data. In an experiment to test a hypothesis, for example, the variables and constants must be clearly identified, and the results should be evaluated using a t-test. The t-test compares two sets of data to see how similar or dissimilar they are. The analysis of variance, which is a set of models in which the observed differences between each set are due to different sources of variation, is another statistical method used by researchers to analyze data. Statistical analysis verifies research methods and backs up the findings of a dissertation.