These slides were used for our weekly doctoral conferences on http://www.bigmarker.com/doctoralnet

1. Methodology 4
Both Sides
of the Pond

2. • US model usually has you
Things are done designing your
differently methodology
across the world early on – before
To some extent, in
approved to do
both plans students research
find themselves • Other parts of
“retro-fitting” what
happened to a the world have you
methodological design approved – then
finalizing the
Or at least “tweaking” research
the design so that it
flows perfectly

3. In A Perfect World…
Fixed Flexible
• Random control trials as • Started with qualitative
gold standard. designs
• Now
• Ideas, full design laid out iterative, sequential, mixed
and then implemented methods, etc.
• Very little tolerance for • Scientific? If systematic, and
complexity or error prinicipled, based on
academically approved ideas
• Empirical theoretical base
• These designs are interactive
with the environment –
allowing researcher the
advantage to capitalize on
what they are learning and
probe more deeply

4. At the end of the day… “an argument about why the topic
They all need all the parts of matters and why there means
the Conceptual Framework in proposed to study it are appropriate
place and rigorous”(Ravitch and Riggan
2012)

5. And Then You Write it Up …

6. Ready to Write Your
Methodology?
Standard Content…
• importance of your study.
• questions you are asking or what
hypothesis you are testing.
• conceptual or theoretical issues
• data collection and analysis
• ethical issues
• (delimiters), the assumptions as
well as the limitations

7. Each of these ties to other
parts of your dissertation or
thesis
• importance of your study.
• questions you are asking or what
hypothesis you are testing.
• conceptual or theoretical issues
• data collection and analysis
• ethical issues
• (delimiters), the assumptions as
well as the limitations

8. Challenging to write…
1. Write with your own voice
2. Use only words you understand completely –
Phenomenology as an example
3. Needs consistent explanation of what you are doing but
not redundancy

9. • Theories are the ideas
upon which you base the
Tricky Place #1
importance of your work
Theoretical • Conceptual frames are the
Frameworks & design or flow of concepts
Conceptual through the
Frameworks methodological
components. “inform a
researchers’ process of
choice making and
framing”
(Ravitch and Riggan, 2012)

10. 1. Justifies the need for the
problem using relevant local
statistics, or other
Trciky Place #2 documentation of discrepancy
through which your reader will
Writing the conclude that this issue is
authentic and needs solving?
Problem 2. Grounds the problem in such a
Statement way that it is clear how it
builds upon previously
published findings or research
on this topic?
3. Meaningful, & fills a gap in
either research or practice?
4. Is it obvious that it can be
studied? In other words are
there multiple solutions or
conclusions that could present
themselves and therefore the
issue needs to be teased out
more to be understood ?
(Krathwohl, & Smith, 2005)

11. Tricky Bit #3 Ethical Issues
• The people you have targeted as you are population
may not want to engage with your data collection
efforts. Do you have a backup plan should your data
collection procedures stall out?
• If you are hoping to use people for the population for
your study, do they belong to the same group, or work
for the same organization? If so, have you obtained
written permission for your study from the managers
of the group or business?
• If you are working in your own organization, do you
have access to adequate sized population for whom
you have no managerial tasks or are in no position
that could be construed as powerful?
• Quantitative data collection instruments, especially
those you design yourself, are becoming increasingly
hard to get past ethical review boards. If you are
hoping to use a personally designed instrument, do
you have another option set up? Have you been able
to find an instrument used in previous studies for
which you can obtain approval and from which you can
gather evidence that pertains to your problem and
purpose?

12. Tricky Bit #4 Data Collection/Analysis
• Quantitative - Reliable
instruments?
• Qualitative – 1 hour collection to 5
hours of analysis
• Mixed Methods – requires both
• Iterative Methods – both over and
over
• All written up in different styles –
Know your style manual for charts
etc.

13. Where we are now enrolling for the November virtual
retreats
Small groups of no more than 4 work together via
webconferencing – using the
tension created by timelines and feedback to fullfill
personal goals and GET IT DONE!
Massive $150 discount for the first to enroll
http://www.doctoralnet.com/index.php?option=com_co
mmunity&view=register
Or email: alana@doctoralnet.com