Final Year Projects

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Final Year Projects

• 9 Writing up the methodology/field work results

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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

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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

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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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Final Year Projects

• 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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Final Year Projects

• 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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Final Year Projects

• 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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Final Year Projects

• 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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Final Year Projects

• 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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Final Year Projects

• 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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Final Year Projects

• 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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Final Year Projects

• 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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Final Year Projects

• 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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Final Year Projects

• 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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Final Year Projects

• 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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Final Year Projects

• 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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Final Year Projects

• 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

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And finally.
Any questions?