RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND LEGAL WRITING

What Is Research Methodology? (Why it’s Important and Types)

In a thesis, dissertation, academic journal article or other formal pieces of research,

there are often details of how the researcher approached the study and the
methods and techniques they used. If you're designing a research study, then it's
helpful to understand what research methodology is and the selection of techniques
and tools available to you. In this article, we explore what research methodology is,
the types of research methodologies and the techniques and tools commonly used
to collect and analyze data.

What is research methodology?

Research methodology is a way of explaining how a researcher intends to carry out
their research. It's a logical, systematic plan to resolve a research problem. A
methodology details a researcher's approach to the research to ensure reliable,
valid results that address their aims and objectives. It encompasses what data
they're going to collect and where from, as well as how it's being collected and
analyzed.

Why is a research methodology important?

A research methodology gives research legitimacy and provides scientifically sound
findings. It also provides a detailed plan that helps to keep researchers on track,
making the process smooth, effective and manageable. A researcher's
methodology allows the reader to understand the approach and methods used to
reach conclusions.

Having a sound research methodology in place provides the following benefits:

● Other researchers who want to replicate the research have enough

information to do so.
● Researchers who receive criticism can refer to the methodology and explain
their approach.
● It can help provide researchers with a specific plan to follow throughout their
research.
● The methodology design process helps researchers select the correct
methods for the objectives.
 ● It allows researchers to document what they intend to achieve with the
research from the outset.

Types of research methodology

When designing a research methodology, a researcher has several decisions to
make. One of the most important is which data methodology to use, qualitative,
quantitative or a combination of the two. No matter the type of research, the data
gathered will be as numbers or descriptions, and researchers can choose to focus
on collecting words, numbers or both.

Here are the different methodologies and their applications:

Qualitative

Qualitative research involves collecting and analyzing written or spoken words and
textual data. It may also focus on body language or visual elements and help to
create a detailed description of a researcher's observations. Researchers usually
gather qualitative data through interviews, observation and focus groups using a
few carefully chosen participants.

This research methodology is subjective and more time-consuming than using

quantitative data. Researchers often use a qualitative methodology when the aims
and objectives of the research are exploratory. For example, when they perform
research to understand human perceptions regarding an event, person or product.

Quantitative

Researchers usually use a quantitative methodology when the objective of the

research is to confirm something. It focuses on collecting, testing and measuring
numerical data, usually from a large sample of participants. They then analyze the
data using statistical analysis and comparisons. Popular methods used to gather
quantitative data are:

This research methodology is objective and is often quicker as researchers use

software programs when analyzing the data. An example of how researchers could
use a quantitative methodology is to measure the relationship between two
variables or test a set of hypotheses.

Mixed-method

This contemporary research methodology combines quantitative and qualitative

approaches to provide additional perspectives, create a richer picture and present
multiple findings. The quantitative methodology provides definitive facts and figures,
while the qualitative provides a human aspect. This methodology can produce
interesting results as it presents exact data while also being exploratory.

Types of sampling design in research methodology

When creating a sample design, a researcher decides from who or what they'll
collect data. They also choose the techniques and procedures they'll use to select
items or individuals for the sample. There are several types of sample design that
fall into two main categories:

Probability sampling

This sampling method uses a random sample from the pool of people or items
you're interested in, called the population, and is random or chance sampling. Every
person or item in the population has an equal chance of being selected. Using this
method is the best way to get a truly representative sample, and researchers can
generalize the study's results to the entire population.

Nonprobability sampling

Nonprobability sampling is not random, as the researcher deliberately selects

people or items for the sample. Researchers also refer to this method as deliberate
sampling, judgment sampling or purposive sampling. Every person or item in the
population doesn't have an equal chance of being selected, and the results are
typically not generalizable to the entire population.

Common data collection methods

Once a researcher has finalized their population sample, they need to decide how to
collect data. There are several options for data collection, and the best research
method to use will depend on the research topic, methodology, type of data and the
population sample.

Although there are many ways to collect data, people often broadly group them in
these ways:

● Interviews: Researchers can carry out interviews in a structured, semi-

structured, or unstructured format, depending on how formal the questions
are.
● Surveys: Surveys can be online or in-person and have either free-answer,
essay-style questions, or closed, multiple-choice style questions. Depending
on the data required, a survey could also use a mixture.
● Focus groups: Focus groups have interviewees give their thoughts,
opinions, perspectives and perceptions on specific topics. A moderator
 usually leads the group to help guide the discussion and ensure everyone
has a chance to share their thoughts.
● Observations: Direct observation involves observing the spontaneous
behavior of participants without interference from the researcher, while
participant observation is more structured, and the researcher interacts with
the participants.
● Documents and records: Researchers collect data such as published
reports and official documents of international bodies, government agencies
or private institutes and internal records such as employees' payroll, raw
material quantities and cash receipts.

Common data analysis methods

Researchers use different data analysis methods depending on whether the data is
qualitative or quantitative. For example:

Qualitative data analysis

Qualitative data is usually in spoken or written information, such as interview

transcripts, video and audio recordings, notes, images and text documents.
Qualitative data analysis involves identifying common patterns in participants'
responses and critically analyzing them to achieve research aims and objectives.

The most commonly used qualitative data analysis methods are:

● Content analysis: This is one of the most common methods used to analyze
documented information and is usually used to analyze interviewees'
responses.
● Narrative analysis: Researchers use this method to analyze content from
several sources, including interviews, observations and surveys. It focuses
on using people's stories and experiences to answer research questions.
● Discourse analysis: This method analyzes spoken or written language in its
social context and aims to understand how people use language in day-to-
day situations.
● Grounded theory: This method uses qualitative data to discover or construct
a theory explaining why something happened. It uses a comparative analysis
of data from similar cases in different settings to derive explanations.

Quantitative data analysis

Quantitative data analysis involves turning numbers into meaningful data by

applying rational and critical thinking. Most researchers use analytical software to
assist with quantitative data analysis. The first stage in analyzing quantitative data is
validating, editing and coding the data. Once completed, the data is ready for
analysis.

The most commonly used quantitative data analysis methods are:

● Descriptive analysis: This method uses descriptive statistics like mean,

median, mode, percentage, frequency and range to find patterns.
● Inferential analysis: This method shows the relationships between multiple
variables using correlation, regression and variance analysis.

Factors to consider when choosing a research

methodology
Here are some factors to consider when choosing a research methodology:

● The research objective: Consider the research project objective. When

researchers know what information they require at the end of the project to
meet their objectives, it helps them select the correct methodology and
research method.
● Significance of statistics: Another factor to consider is whether you require
concise, data-driven research results and statistical answers. Or whether the
research questions require an understanding of reasons, perceptions,
opinions and motivations.
● Nature of the research: If the aims and objectives are exploratory, the
research will probably require qualitative data collection methods. However,
if the aims and objectives are to measure or test something, the research will
require quantitative data collection methods.
● Sample size: How big does the sample need to be to answer the research
questions and meet the objectives? The sample size can determine your
data-gathering methods, such as whether to use in-person interviews or
smaller samples or online surveys for larger ones.
● Time available: If there are time constraints, consider techniques like
random or convenience sampling and tools that allow for data collection in a
few days. If there's more time available for data collection, in-person
interviews and observations are possible.

What's the difference between research methods and methodology?

Research methods are individual tools, techniques, or behaviors a researcher uses

to collect information. A research methodology is a specific way of conducting
research that may incorporate multiple research methods. It details the what, where
and how of data collection and analysis.
What are the six basic research methods?

The six basic research methods, or tools for collecting information, are:

● Social surveys
● Interviews
● Experiments
● Ethnography
● Longitudinal studies
● Participant observation

How do you choose the right research methodology?

You can choose the right research methodology by determining the type of data
necessary for answering your research question. For instance, you may require
numerical data to generate concrete measurements or test your hypothesis. If you
want to explore more abstract concepts, consider collecting qualitative data.

Researchers might also choose between primary and secondary data when
determining whether they want to collect data first-hand or analyze vast amounts of
existing information. Additionally, note that experimental methods are appropriate
for establishing relationships between variables while descriptive methods can help
you better understand the characteristics of whatever you're studying.

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