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.