LECTURE 7:

WRITING THE
METHODS
SECTION
Jo Mark B. Azupardo, LPT, MAEd, PhDEF Student
The Publishable Paper (IMRAD/IMFAD)

1 2 3 4 5
Introduction Theoretical Methods Results/Findings Discussion
Background

6
Conclusion
 METHODS
The methods section is procedural in nature.
It has the following subsections:
1) Research Design
2) Selection and Study Site
3) Data Measures
4) Data Collection Procedure
5) Ethical Consideration
6) Data/Mode of Analysis

3
 WRITING THE METHODS SECTION
RESEARCH DESIGN State the design
Discuss briefly what the design is all about
Discuss why the design is the most appropriate to use
STUDY SITE Identify the study site
What makes it interesting? Highlight some salient features
What guided you in the choice of the site? Cross-reference, if possible
RESPONDENTS/ Identify who are your respondents/selection
PARTICIPANTS or SELECTION How are the respondents/selection chosen?
Indicate the inclusion/exclusion criteria
What is the profile of the respondents/selection? (may be done in textual or tabular
form)
DATA MEASURES Origin, purpose, features, validation, reliability, translation/back translation, permission,
administration, scoring, interpretation, interview guide development
DATA GATHERING PROCEDURE Indicate how permission is sought, how informed consent is secured, how protocols are
AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATION observed and how long the data gathering will last, how you will retrieve the
questionnaires
DATA ANALYSIS/MODE OF Indicate how data sensemaking was carried out by identifying the tools used vis-à-vis the
ANALYSIS corresponding use
WRITING THE
RESEARCH
DESIGN SECTION
RESEARCH DESIGN

In writing the Research Design section, start your

paragraph by stating the design/method and proceed
by describing briefly what the design is all about.
Discuss why the chosen design is the most
appropriate to use in your research. Your write-up
need not to be lengthy as different journals follow
certain word counts on original articles. Your own
writing style may also naturally come out in your
write-up. You may start writing about the general aim
of your study and then proceed discussing about the
research design. It is always helpful to follow the law
of parsimony in writing.
WRITING THE
RESPONDENTS/
SELECTION AND STUDY
SITE
SUBJECTS AND STUDY SITE

 For Qualitative research, the number of your selection depends on

your research design. However, unlike the quantitative research
designs, where there are desired sample sizes that will complement
the performance of the descriptive and inferential statistics, in
qualitative research designs, the information-rich cases are
deemed most fit as basis of the selection size. As Patton (2002)
emphasized; ‘There are no rules for sample size in qualitative inquiry.
Sample size depends on what you want to know; the purpose of the
inquiry; what’s at stake, what will be useful, what will have credibility,
and what can be done with available time and resources’ (p.244).
The summary matrix below shows the acceptable number of
participants depending on chosen qualitative research design:
Qualitative Design Acceptable Selection
Size
Narrative 1-2
Case Study 1 to multiple
Grounded Theory 20 or more
Phenomenology 3-13
WRITING THE SUBJECT AND STUDY SITE SECTION

 In writing the subject sand study site, you have to start with identifying who the
respondents/participants are. Explain how you have chosen/selected or recruited
the participants by mentioning your sampling design, the parameters of your
research; both inclusion and exclusion criteria. In your write-up, you should also be
able to create the profile of your respondents, which may be done in textual or
tabular form.
 Following the discussion of your respondents/participants, mention about your
study site or the research locale. Explain your justification for choosing the specific
study site by engaging the readers and making them understand what makes the
research locale interesting. Highlight some salient features of the location and what
guided you in choosing of the site. It is important that you include cross-referencing
in this part of discussion to emphasize an empirical/statistical basis or acceptable
justification for choosing your study site.
WRITING THE DATA
MEASURES SECTION
 WRITING THE DATA MEASURES SECTION

 In writing the Data Measures or Instrumentation of your research,

you have to indicate the origin, purpose, features, validation
strategies, the translation/back translation of the interview guide
and your system of administration. If you used a personal data
sheet or a demographic sketch to illustrate the demographic profile
of your selection, you need to include in your write-up the chosen
demographic characteristics. Your interview guide must be explained
well on how you prepared and developed it, focused on your central
question. If you have a qualitative research, your write-up should
also include a sample of your interview schedule, reflecting the types
and sample of actual questions from your interview guide. If a
quantitative research, give examples of questions from the
questionnaire or assessment tool you will use.
FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH:

Creating an Interview Preparatory Matrix (IPM) will assist in crafting your questions for your interview guide.

Concept or Layer of Human Definition Reference A priori Codes Interview

Experience Questions

The main variable of your From In-text Major/key Creation

existing of
research: the story, problem, literature referencing concept interview questions
process, or essence from the from the A
of definition priori
experience code

From the IPM, you can now create your Interview Guide Development. Your Interview Guide will now be arranged according to the type of
questions to finalize your Interview Guide. A translation to the native tongue or local dialect may be included in the interview guide.

Concept or Layer of Human Type of Questions Interview Questions

Experience

The main variable of your research: 1) Introductory Based on the A priori codes
the story, problem, process, 2) Transitory
or
essence of experience 3) Key/Core
4) Closing
FOR QUANTITATIVE
RESEARCH:
If you will have a researcher’s made tool, then tests for reliability and validity are
needed.
 Types of Reliability testing
Method Procedure Coefficient Disadvantages
Test-Retest The same test is Stability Memory effect
▶ Test-Retest- the same form of a given twice with Practice effect
test on two or more separate time interval Change over time
occasions to the same group of between testings
examinees Alternate Equivalent tests Equivalence Difficult to develop
▶ Alternate Forms- two different Forms are given with and stability two equivalent tests;
forms of test, based on the same time between it may reflect change
content, on one occasion to the testings in behavior over
examinees. time

▶ Internal Consistency- points to Internal One test given at Equivalence Uses shortened
the coefficient of test scores Consistency one time only (test and internal forms (split-half); this
obtained from a single test or divided into parts consistency is good if traits are
survey. This can be split-half in split-half) unitary or
homogenous; It gives
high estimate on a
speeded test; it’s
hard to compute by
hand
Factors affecting reliability
 Length increases reliability Reliability Coefficients Interpretation

r from .00 to .20 Indifferent or negligible

 Heterogeneity increases relationship
reliability
r from .20 to .40 Low correlation, present
 Shorter time, higher but slight

reliability r from .40 to .70 Substantial or marked

relationship
 Irregularities reduce
reliability r from .70 to .00 High to very high
relationship
 Types of Validity testing
Type Purpose Procedure Types of Tests
Content To compare whether the test Compare test blueprint with the school, Survey achievement tests
items match with the set of course program objective Criterion-referenced tests
goals and objectives of the Use panel of experts in content area Aptitude tests
test constructed Professional licensing
exams
Criterion-Concurrent To determine whether there is Correlate test scores with criterion Scholastic aptitude tests,
a relationship between a test measure or at about the same time Readiness tests
and an immediate criterion Use a rating, observation, or another Personality tests
measure test as criterion Intelligence tests

Criterion-Predictive To determine whether there is Correlate test scores with criterion Scholastic aptitude tests,
a relationship between a test measure obtained after a period of Readiness tests
and a criterion measure to be time Personality tests
obtained in the future Intelligence tests

Construct To determine whether a Conduct multivariate statistical analysis Intelligence tests,

construct exists and to such as factor analysis, discriminant Aptitude tests
understand the traits or analysis, multivariate analysis of Personality tests
concepts that make up the set variance
of scores or items
WRITING THE DATA
GATHERING/
COLLECTION PROCEDURE
 The Data Collection Procedure explains the important course of
action taken by the researcher in order to carry out the task of
obtaining evidence from the sources of data. Depending on the
requirements of journal, some write-ups merge the discussion of the
data collection procedure and the ethical considerations, especially if
there are strict word count for original research.
 In your write-up of the Data Collection Procedure, indicate what are
the protocols observed during the data collection period, the
permission sought, coordination and other preliminaries. Describe
also how long the data collection lasted, the duration of each of the
interviews conducted. Mention as well if the researcher gave a token
or bothersome fee for the selected participants of the study.
WRITING THE ETHICAL
CONSIDERATIONS
 In writing the ethical considerations segment, start your
paragraph in describing how the ethical clearance was
sought, and state the registration/approval number.
Describe how the informed consent form was secured,
including the parent’s assent forms in cases where the
participants are of minor ages. Include how the
approval was sought from the participants for audio
and/or video recording of the interviews. Mention in
your write-up if you have appended the sample of
accomplished informed consent and assent forms as
well as a copy of your ethics clearance certificate.
WRITING THE
DATA/MODE
OF ANALYSIS
IF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

 The analysis of your gathered evidence depends on the appropriate/acceptable

analytical approach of your research design. The most common qualitative
analytical approaches are the Thematic Analysis, Semiotic Analysis and Content
Analysis. Data Analytic Tools are important to determine the coherence and
patterns of the narratives of the participants.
 In your write-up, indicate how data sensemaking was carried out by identifying the
data analytic tools used vis-à-vis the corresponding use. Start your write-up by
explaining how you transcribed the field texts and the utilized data reduction
technique. Describe how you were able to interpret underlying meanings from the
significant statements, drawn out codes, categories and the building up of themes.
Finally, the write-up should also mention how the truthfulness and trustworthiness of
the data collected was validated. Describe how the findings were validated to prove
that it is Apodictic – absolutely certain or certainly true and has Persuasiveness –
the interpretation is reasonable, convincing and impressive. Here are the common
validation strategies utilized in a qualitative investigation.
 IF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Validation Strategy Description

Correspondence The researcher takes the results back to those
studied to validate if the findings truly captured
their story, essence, process or issue shared.
Member Checking The correspondence made by the researcher
Procedure with another person involved in the data
analysis regarding the truthfulness and
trustworthiness of the data being researched.
Critical Friend Technique Involves the recruitment of a third researcher
who was never involved with the data collection
and initial data analysis to complete the
triangular consensus or triangulation
procedure.
 IF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

 When writing the data analysis, start with

the overview of your statement of the
problem, the data and modeling
approach, the statistical treatment, the
results of your data analysis: What data did
you use to address the objectives? How
did you answer your
hypothesis? Make sure that
hypothesis is answered every by a
method/treatment statistical
NEXT TOPIC:
PROPOSAL/TITLE DEFENSE
 REFERENCES

 Data Analysis Writeups.

https://jgscott.github.io/teaching/writeups/write_ups/
 De Guzman, AB (2019). Doing Qualitative Research in Education and Social
Sciences. Course Information Map for Qualitative Research. University of
Santo Tomas-Manila
 Mauch, J., & Birch, J. (1993). Guide to the successful thesis and
dissertation. Marcel Dekker, Inc. Madison Avenue, New York