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Final Year Projects
9: Writing up the methodology/field work
results
Final Year Projects
What exactly is ‘methodology’ ?
‘Methodology’ is not just another term for
‘methods’ – it is a statement of the philosophical
underpinnings of the research strategy and how
we actually arrive at ‘new’ knowledge.
Three philosophical ‘schools’ dominate the
literature – positivism, interpretivism, realism
Final Year Projects
Positivism assumes that we are deploying
methods similar to the natural sciences.
You may well be collecting data by survey or by
questionnaire (i.e. by quantitative methods) and
analysing the results using conventional statistics
(t-tests for continuous data, chi-square tests for
nominal data) to test out statistical hypotheses
Final Year Projects
Interpretivist research assumes that we are not trying to
achieve ‘laws’ or statistical generalisations but to achieve
understanding.
Analysing interviews that you had collected using a
qualitative framework implies that you are seeking
understanding rather than statistical generalisations.
You feel the need to understand the ‘reality of the social
world’ in which people are operating
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Realism
Realism assumes that there is an objective reality
independent of human thought and action. Realism
recognises the external objective nature of the social
world (like positivism) but also appreciates socially
constructed interpretations and meanings (like
interpretivism) Realism is likely to use a judicious
blend of methods
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In your methodology section you need to explain:
 how you chose to investigate your subject area
and decided on a research strategy
 the philosophical underpinnings of the same
 and how these two informed the methods that
you actually used
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Your methods are likely to include:
 desk-based research of secondary sources
 perhaps some original documents, research
reports
 Questionnaires (for some)
 Interviews
 case studies
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Methods are always chosen to fit the problem under
investigation (and not because you feel happier
using the them)
Your methodology/methods section should always
include a rationale why you chose the particular
methods that you did i.e.
A questionnaire generates representativeness
An interview gives insight into social processes
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ALWAYS give details of how you selected your
sample including
- Sampling frame
- pilot studies
- particular method chosen (random, quota) and why
You need to supply a rationale even if ‘after the
event’ i.e. your sample was ‘opportunistic’
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A very common error!
Some FYPs give a ‘run-down’ of particular
methods available (often ‘liberated’ from a
textbook) This is not needed (and can give the
impression of ‘padding’ or woffling)
What we do need to know is your rationale for
choosing the methods to select to investigate
your own particular problem.
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In the case of quantitative research (surveys,
questionnaires), you should report:
Tables that indicate the range of responses
Always give raw figures (% only if about 30+, not
if the numbers were small)
Some interesting cross-tabulations (including a
chi-square) or t-tests (if data is continuous)
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In the appendix put:
 More detailed statistical analysis (from which a
selection might appear in the main body)
 One blank copy of the questionnaire (not the
complete set)
 Any extra material that might ‘clutter up’ the main
body of the report
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 Be intelligent about your choice of graphical
representation e.g. a bar-chart showing distribution
between male/female is rarely a good idea
 Just because the technology can do certain things,
you should use discretion as to what to deploy
(particularly in the case of Excel)
 carefully label all diagrams and Charts and refer to
them in the text
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Qualitative Work
 Here you should selective quotes to illustrate the
major themes in your interview
(e.g. ‘ a typical view expressed by the majority of
respondents was …’
 Attempt a thematic analysis (example are shown in
the FYP handbook)
 Follow some of the examples given
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 Remember to anonymise but attribute the
views you are quoting e.g. 2nd year student,
personnel manager after each quote
 Remember that you are trying to illustrate the
major themes of your FYP by using your
material. You should therefore weave your
material into an interpretive account (not just
report that person 1 said this, person 2 said
that)
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A common mistake in reporting findings!
 the account you produce should not give the
appearance of a ‘bolt-on extra’ but rather appear
as an integral part of the whole project
 Whether questionnaire/interview/case study you
should use the material to throw light upon the
central research question that informs your FYP
 Your account may be consistent with (or show variations
from) the trends reported in your literature review.
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Some final thoughts
 Including well analysed empirical work is a chance
to ‘show off’ your methodological skills (if you do it
well) or to lose marks (if you do it badly)
 Remember to give full technical details (how and
why you selected your respondents, response
rates etc.)
 Your survey material show should show good integration
with your project themes i.e. throw light upon them
And finally….
Any
questions?