Research methodology tutors

Writing a clear methodology chapter

Your methodology should let a reader understand exactly how you did the study, and why.

1. 1Choose a design that fits your objectivesSurveys, experiments, case studies and interviews answer different kinds of questions. Explain why yours fits.
2. 2Define your population and sampleSay who the study is about, how many people you studied and how you chose them.
3. 3Justify your sample sizeUse a recognised method. For a known population, Taro Yamane's formula, n = N / (1 + N × e²), is common in Nigerian projects; Krejcie and Morgan's table is another option.
4. 4Describe your instrumentsExplain your questionnaire or interview guide, its sections and how you developed it.
5. 5Show validity and reliabilityExplain how experts checked the instrument and how you tested reliability, for example with a pilot study and Cronbach's alpha.
6. 6State your analysis methodsSay which statistics or qualitative methods you'll use for each research question.

Read more: How to calculate sample size for your project (with examples)