Introduction
This section of your paper provides the reader with a general subject to a field of research. It establishes the context, significance, and reason for conducting the research. Here students will provide understanding and background information about the subject, and the purpose of the study, which shall be stated in the form of a research problem supported by a hypothesis or a set of research questions. The methodology that will be used to examine the research problem will be identified in this area, along with the possible outcomes of your study. It is here that the basic outline of your research is provided to the reader.
Background and thesis statement
Statement of the Problem
Purpose of the Study
Significance of the Study
Research Questions
Key Terms, if Any?
Theoretical Framework
Methodology
An effectively written methodology section should:
Introduce the overall methodological approach for investigating your research problem. Is your study qualitative or quantitative or a combination of both (mixed method)? Are you going to take a unique approach, such as action research, or a more neutral stance?
Indicate how the approach fits the overall research design. Your methods should have a clear connection with your research problem. In other words, make sure that your methods will actually address the issue. One of the most common deficiencies found in research papers is that the proposed methodology is not suitable for achieving the stated objective of your paper.
Describe the specific data collection methods you will use, such as surveys, interviews, questionnaires, observation, and archival research. If you are analyzing existing data, such as a data set or archival documents, describe how it was originally created or gathered and by whom.
Explain how you intend to analyze your results. Will you use statistical analysis? Will you use specific theoretical perspectives to help you analyze a text or explain observed behaviors? Describe how you plan to obtain an accurate assessment of relationships, patterns, trends, distributions, and possible contradictions found in the data.
Provide background and a rationale for methodologies that are unfamiliar to your readers. Very often, in the social sciences, research problems and the methods for investigating them require more explanation/rationale than widely accepted rules governing the natural and physical sciences. Be clear and concise in your explanation.
Provide a justification for subject selection and sampling procedure. For instance, if you propose to conduct interviews, how do you intend to select the sample population? If you are analyzing texts, which texts have you chosen, and why? If you are using statistics, why is this set of statistics being used? If other data sources exist, explain why the chosen data is most appropriate for addressing the research problem.
Students will utilize the Kate L. Turabian style guide when completing this portion of their paper. Students are required to use the footnote/bibliography style whilst completing the research paper. Please see the Turabian Quick Guide here: Turabian Citation Quick Guide Notes and Bibliography Samples (chicagomanualofstyle.org).
All work must be double-spaced and typed in Times New Roman 12point font.
