Tips on the kinds of information and argumentation you need to include the the Research design section(s) of your thesis.

1. Writing up
the Research
Design of
Your Thesis

2. Research Design
Is about the structure and
reasoning behind the
investigations you did.
Not just what you did – but how
you arrived at this set of
investigations: the journey from
initial problem to data
collection.
Two useful, but different terms
for this part of your thesis are
METHODS and
METHODOLOGY.

3. Methodology Methods
What’s the
difference?
Explains the reasoning and
thinking behind your
choice of methods.
Why have you chosen this
approach?
What did the literature say
about solving such
problems and how did it
influence you?
Methods is part of
your methodology. It
details what you did,
your procedures, but
like Methodology,
your many choices
must also be
justified.

4. Methodology
DEFEND YOUR DECISIONS
Anticipate likely criticisms of your choices
and address them either in the literature
review or in your methods.
JUSTIFY YOUR DECISIONS
Explain the thinking behind your choice
of a particular theory/ model/ concept

5. Literature
review
Methods
Results
Aim
Discussion
Not everything you write about methodology will go
in the methods chapter.
No part of your thesis is stand-alone, (except,
perhaps the abstract). Rather, there are discrete
chapters or parts, but they fit together to form a
whole picture.
By the time your reader has finished your literature
review, they should have a fair idea of the methods
you are likely to use, and they should be able to
predict what your research questions will be with
some accuracy.
In other words, you will have reviewed literature
that employed methods which could also apply to
your research problem.

6. What kinds of methods can be applied to my
problem?
How well do these methods fit?
Write up the information that enabled you to make a
decision for your thesis
NB: Not a list of advantages and disadvantages of all
possible methods – focus on the one you have
chosen.
Methodology – early questions to answer

7. Methods 1 & 3 
(examined and rejected)
Briefly summarise your reasons
for rejecting these approaches,
using the literature where
appropriate.
Give a detailed explanation of
how and why this approach will
best address your research
problem.
Method 2
Methodology

8. Methodology
“By the time you start to describe be your results (in the “Results” chapter(s),
you will be so immersed in them that you may have quite forgotten the
struggle you went through to select an appropriate method for your
investigations, or why you designed your research instruments as you did.”
Evans, D., & Gruba, P. (2002) How to Write a Better Thesis. MUP. Carlton pp. 84-5
Tip: Note taking and reading
- take notes on more than just information as you read
- write your thoughts, questions and concerns about the approach;
what is suitable about it for your research problem and where it may
fall short.

9. Methodology
Through what theoretical
lens(es) are you viewing your
research problem?
What is the impact of this /
these on how you investigate
the problem?
What are your hypotheses?
Look at published theses in your discipline; find how and where they
have justified the choices they made in the design of their research.

10. ?
Methods
‘So is it just a list of procedures, like a
recipe?
Well not really, although this will form
part of your methods.
You will also need to explain the
decisions behind your research
design
‘write your methods with enough
detail to allow another researcher to
replicate what you have done’

11. Explain your Research decisions:
How did you determine the size of your
sample?
Methods
Why are you using interviews and not surveys, or surveys and not
interviews?
How did you decide how many trials to do?
Cite appropriate literature.
Argue your case with reasons.

12. Standard
Techniques
Less well-known
techniques
Explain
why you
chose it
Summarise
(and/ or cite a good
description of the
method)
Explain in
detail
Methods

13. Equipment and Procedures
Give details of:
- Any equipment, programmes or
software not widely used in your
discipline
- The specifications of any standard
equipment or programmes where
these may vary.
Methods

14. In summary:
Methodology explains the concepts behind your research
design.
Methods explain what you did in enough detail to enable your
reader to reproduce your results.
For both methodology and methods, you need to defend and
justify decisions you have made.
Methodology inevitably proceeds methods, but you should
organise your methods chapter(s) logically, in a way that most
clearly explains your research.

15. References
Evans, D., Gruba, P., & Zobel, J. (2011). How to write a better thesis. Melbourne
Univ. Publishing.
Lindsay, D. R. (2011). Scientific writing. CSIRO PUBLISHING.
Murray, R. (2011). How to write a thesis. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
Oliver, P. (2013). Writing your thesis. Sage.
Phillips, E., & Pugh, D. (2010). How to get a PhD: A handbook for students and their
supervisors. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).