PG writing about your methodology slides
- 1. Writing about your Methodology • You will be able to… • Explain what your methodology and methods section should include • Apply techniques for structuring and writing about your methodology • Create a plan for your own chapter
- 2. What is it for? Explain how you conducted your research and why you did it that way. Show how your methodology and methods are connected to your research aims.
- 3. First steps check list • Are you writing a separate chapter or including this in your introduction? • Are you sure about the difference between methodologies and methods? • Do your methodology and methods make sense?
- 4. • Philosophy/Research Paradigm (e.g. Positivistic or Interpretivist) • Methodology (e.g. Qualitative, or a theory like feminism) • Methods (e.g. case study, surveys, interviews, lab experiment, archival) • Research design/tools and methods of data analysis (e.g. equipment, SPSS, content analysis) Remember that each approach or methodology will have its own set of appropriate methods
- 5. Planning your chapter: structure Philosophy/Paradigm Methodology Research Methods Research Design Analysis method Each stage is getting narrower from your overarching philosophy down to your specific tools of analysis. Each stage helps you to explain the next.
- 6. Writing each section: methodology • Which methodology have you chosen? • Why is this methodology most appropriate for your project? • What possible limitations could there be to your methodology? • So, why have you not chosen another methodology?
- 7. While quantitative research has advantages in bias avoidance and ability to repeat the findings because of statistical analysis and ‘statistical interpretation’, the strength of the qualitative approach is in its ability to deal with complicated situations (Creswell, 2007). This means that a situation can be looked at from various perspectives through qualitative research (Creswell, 2007), unlike quantitative research, which only provides and overview of causa relationships among factors related to the situation (Creswell, 2007). A) Which? B) Appropriate? C) Possible limitations D) Why haven’t you chosen another one?
- 8. This research employed a qualitative method with the aim of exploring in- depth how IT professionals manage the competing demands of work and life as well as how and why work-life balance provisions can impact on their intention to leave an organisation. A) Which? B) Appropriate? C) Possible limitations D) Why haven’t you chosen another one?
- 9. Learning how employees balance work and life in a socially constructed and complex world makes qualitative research more appropriate for this study. Qualitative research allows the researcher to understand how and why work-life balance initiatives can impact on employees’ intention to leave. It enables an analysis of an individual’s motivation, perceptions and emotions and how these impact their decision making. A) Which? B) Appropriate? C) Possible limitations D) Why haven’t you chosen another one?
- 10. Although qualitative methodologies can be criticised for the potential of researcher bias and subjectivity, the researcher can understand reasons and social context behind the participants’ responses (Creswell, 2007). A) Which? B) Appropriate? C) Possible limitations D) Why haven’t you chosen another one?
- 11. Additionally, the qualitative approach is chosen because the researcher has no expert knowledge of statistics. Although the author can use the computer software program SPSS to assist data analysis, lack of knowledge of the underlying principles of statistical analysis can limit the data interpretation and analysis. Should this be included?
- 12. This research employed a qualitative method with the aim of exploring in-depth how IT professionals manage the competing demands of work and life as well as how and why work-life balance provisions can impact on their intention to leave an organisation. While quantitative research has advantages in bias avoidance and ability to repeat the findings because of statistical analysis and ‘statistical interpretation’, the strength of the qualitative approach is in its ability to deal with complicated situations (Creswell, 2007). This means that a situation can be looked at from various perspectives through qualitative research (Creswell, 2007), unlike quantitative research, which only provides and overview of causa relationships among factors related to the situation (Creswell, 2007). Although qualitative methodologies can be criticised for the potential of researcher bias and subjectivity, the researcher can understand reasons and social context behind the participants’ responses (Creswell, 2007). Learning how employees balance work and life in a socially constructed and complex world makes qualitative research more appropriate for this study. Qualitative research allows the researcher to understand how and why work-life balance initiatives can impact on employees’ intention to leave. It enables an analysis of an individual’s motivation, perceptions and emotions and how these impact their decision making. Additionally, the qualitative approach is chosen because the researcher has no expert knowledge of statistics. Although the author can use the computer software program SPSS to assist data analysis, lack of knowledge of the underlying principles of statistical analysis can limit the data interpretation and analysis. Which methodology? Why is it appropriate? Possible criticism, or limitations So, why haven’t you chosen another one? Please avoid!
- 13. Writing each section: methods Describe your chosen methods and explain why they are appropriate for your research. Use the same questioning process as for your methodology.
- 14. The overall purpose of this research is to explore the level of work-life conflict which employees in the IT industry experience as well as to gain a deeper understanding of how and why work-life balance is considered as an affecting factor on employees’ intention to leave. Therefore, individual interviews, which can provide sufficient information to answer not only the question of respondents’ viewpoint but also how and why that response was given (Smith et al., 2012), is the chosen data collection method. Which question?
- 15. The overall purpose of this research is to explore the level of work-life conflict which employees in the IT industry experience as well as to gain a deeper understanding of how and why work-life balance is considered as an affecting factor on employees’ intention to leave. Therefore, individual interviews, which can provide sufficient information to answer not only the question of respondents’ viewpoint but also how and why that response was given (Smith et al., 2012), is the chosen data collection method. Why is this one appropriate?
- 16. As stated above, apart from individual interviews, focus groups are also suited to qualitative research. Data generated from focus group interviews can be unique and ‘concentrated’ and the volume of data generated is larger in a shorter period of time when compared to individual interview (Hatch, 2002). Which question?
- 17. As stated above, apart from individual interviews, focus groups are also suited to qualitative research. Data generated from focus group interviews can be unique and ‘concentrated’ and the volume of data generated is larger in a shorter period of time when compared to individual interview (Hatch, 2002). What possible limitations could be there be?
- 18. Since this research adopts a qualitative methodology, the data collection methods which are suitable for this study could include both individual interviews and focus groups. Which question?
- 19. Since this research adopts a qualitative methodology, the data collection methods which are suitable for this study could include both individual interviews and focus groups. Which methods are suitable for your methodology?
- 20. However, the issue of control requires an experienced and skilled interviewer as a moderator (Hatch, 2002) but the researcher has no experience in moderating groups, and there were also geographical constraints. Therefore, individual interview is more suitable for this study. Which question?
- 21. However, the issue of control requires an experienced and skilled interviewer as a moderator (Hatch, 2002) but the researcher has no experience in moderating groups, and there were also geographical constraints. Therefore, individual interview is more suitable for this study. So, why haven’t you chosen another one?
- 22. Since this research adopts a qualitative methodology, the data collection methods which are suitable for this study could include both individual interviews and focus groups. However, the data collection method should always be consistent with research questions and research objectives (Smith, et al., 2012). The overall purpose of this research is to explore the level of work-life conflict which employees in the IT industry experience as well as to gain a deeper understanding of how and why work-life balance is considered as an affecting factor on employees’ intention to leave. Therefore, individual interviews, which can provide sufficient information to answer not only the question of respondents’ viewpoint but also how and why that response was given (Smith et al., 2012), is the chosen data collection method. As stated above, apart from individual interviews, focus groups are also suited to qualitative research. Data generated from focus group interviews can be unique and ‘concentrated’ and the volume of data generated is larger in a shorter period of time when compared to individual interview (Hatch, 2002). However, the issue of control requires an experienced and skilled interviewer as a moderator (Hatch, 2002) but the researcher has no experience in moderating groups, and there were also geographical constraints. Therefore, individual interview is more suitable for this study. Which methods suitable for your methodology? Why is this one appropriate? Possible criticism, or limitations, alternatives explored So, why haven’t you chosen another one?
- 23. Writing each section: research design and methods of analysis • Your research design needs to be detailed and its suitability needs to be explained. • This is also an opportunity to consider issues around reliability and validity.
- 24. Some questions to consider • How did you select participants? • What key words did you look for? • Are there any ethical considerations? • Did you use any software/equipment? • Do you need diagrams?
- 25. Writing your chapter: specific language and justify A quantitative methodology was most appropriate because… Qualitative methods offer a more effective way of …. Questionnaires rather than interviews were used because… The X method is one of the more practical ways of …. To measure X, a question asking … was used. To see if the two methods gave the same measurement, the data was plotted and …. Find more at http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/describing-methods/
- 26. Have a go... Can you all write a sentence explaining your choice of a methodology or method?
- 27. To sum up and reflect: •Clear rationale and explanations. •Link them to your aims. •Be specific.
Editor's Notes
- #2: The aim of the session is that they gradually build up a written plan for their own M and M chapter by adding notes on each relevant section throughout. They seem to like walking out with a piece of writing that could at least get them started, even if it changes. It’s also a way to continuously assess their learning and application. Depending on the group and where they are up to in their own dissertation, build in some flexibility around expectations.
- #3: Give them no more than two minutes each – explain that being able to do it so briefly is a real skill and can indicate how ready they are. Even if they are in the very early stages, they should at least be able to do this but the next activity builds in the recognition that they may not be there yet, and even if they are, there will still be possible areas to improve on.
- #4: Open up Q and A about all of this. All referring to a philosophy/paradigm? Not all have to. Check they know the differences between all of these briefly – if they’re very unsure, refer them back to tutors. Give them 5 minutes max for the activity.
- #5: Open up Q and A about all of this. All referring to a philosophy/paradigm? Not all have to. Check they know the differences between all of these briefly – if they’re very unsure, refer them back to tutors. Give them 5 minutes max for the activity.
- #6: Explain and then give a good 10 minutes with one to one feedback as circulate. This will be the basis for the rest of the lesson.
- #7: Run through to check they know what these questions mean before the reading task. 5 minutes plus some feedback/discussion
- #8: Just reinforce points from the discussion., and expand if need be.
- #9: Just reinforce points from the discussion., and expand if need be.
- #10: Just reinforce points from the discussion., and expand if need be.
- #11: Just reinforce points from the discussion., and expand if need be.
- #12: Just reinforce points from the discussion., and expand if need be.
- #13: Just reinforce points from the discussion., and expand if need be.
- #14: As before for methodology
- #24: Opportunity to try to respond to the variation amongst the class – refer directly to what some of them have already said, get others talking.
- #25: Highlight that these are a sample of the type of question they need to be asking themselves – they have indicated methodologies and methods in their proposals but do they need reflecting on/changing? Can they still justify them? This activity is meant to get them thinking about that. After the activity, Q and A on their choices – keep pushing them to justify choices (or as you circulate the room, question on a 121 basis). For the activity, you could put them in groups/pairs depending on what they are doing methodology and methods wise – can they come up with strengths and weaknesses? I’d keep this pretty quick though.
- #28: Ask them for their responses to this as a plenary to assess