Article 1 -Writing up Research: Method and Research
The purpose should allow readers to see how the data was collected, as well as see how it is analyzed. The way the data is collected affects the results, so it is important to be able to see how the data is gathered. Also, it should be made clear why the chosen method is used. The consistency of the method can also be seen by readers. Appropriate research methods must be chosen. Possible problems should be discussed, how did the researcher prevent them? Other researchers may want to duplicate these methods, so having a good methodology helps. Some possible problems include irrelevant details. Also, readers aren’t beginners in the topic, so don’t treat them as such. Only explain what needs to be. Don’t pretend problems when gathering research don’t occur. Recording the step to get over the problem may help future researchers get over their own problems. The methodology fits into the final draft as a key component. In the intro, objectives are given. The literature review explains sources and why they’re important to the research. The method section explains how the data was obtained and the analysis. The results and discussion show the results of the research. And the conclusion explains how the question was answered. There are many research methods, which include; analysis, case study, comparison, correlation-prediction, evaluation, design-demonstration, survey questionnaire, status, theory construction, and trend analysis. When writing the method section, keep aware of the purpose. Keep notes of what happened, and be aware of the audience. It is suggested to use passive voice to avoid the use of “I” (Writing up Research).
Article 2- The Methods Section of a Paper
The methods section of a paper is extremely important, it shows the validity of research. Thus, the author must show a clear guide of how the research was obtained. This allowed readers to judge the paper, or other researchers to duplicate the methods. Cause-and-effect relationships can be found through the methods. The two main sections are the materials section, and of course, the methods section. The materials refer to what was examined, and the methods describe the analysis. For writing this part, first explain the materials used. Then explain how the materials were prepared, the research protocol, calculations performed, and the tests to analyze the data. Also, this should be done in past tense. Compound sentences should be avoided, as well as describing irrelevant details. The data analysis presents the results of the statistical tests. In short, the methods section is an extremely important part of the research paper and should be done in a clear and appropriate manner(Kallet).
The methods section of a paper is indeed important. It shows credibility of the research, and allows others to judge the paper and methods. If the appropriate methods are taken, with the appropriate explanation, others can duplicate the methods. Furthermore, credibility is key when people judge the paper itself, no one will believe or want to read a paper with bogus sources and methods (take the Killing Rampage article discussed in blog 9).
References:
Kallet, Richard. “The Method Section of a Paper.” Success in MRCOphth by Professor C.N.Chua BMed Sci, MB BS, MRCP, FRCOphth. Web. <http://www.mrcophth.com/publishorperish/methods.html>.
“Writing up Research: Method and Research Design.” Language Center Website. Web. <http://www.languages.ait.ac.th/el21meth.htm>.
