Practical Tips on Choosing the Best Research Methodology

by

Dr. Tracy L. Jackson, PhD, MSW

So you are off to a good start with a very interesting research topic. You are excited but now you have to choose your research methodology. This can cause some anxiety for learners. Before you panic, think about the specific questions you want to ask in your study (research questions). Consider what you are seeking to discover in the study. Are you interesting in finding a relationship between certain variables? Do you want to learn more above the lived experiences of a certain phenomenon for a group of people? Do you want to know why a person behaves a certain way? Do you want to find whether or not there are differences/similarities between groups? Do you think one variable will predict an outcome in another variable? These are just a few examples of questions to think about as this will help you to better decide which research methodology will fit your study.

Do a thorough review of the literature. You should find research studies that are similar to your research topic and problem. I advise my learners to review theses and dissertations that have been completed by students from their university, and to narrow it down by reviewing theses and dissertations from their particular school/program. Pay close attention to the methodology, data collection and analysis. If it is a quantitative study, check out the statistical tests that were chosen for the study (e.g., MANOVA, two-way ANOVA, t-tests). Also, be mindful of the questionnaires and instruments (tests) that were chosen to collect the data. If you are interested in doing a qualitative study, did the researcher use focus groups, structured or semi-structured interviews or observations?

When you are feeling pretty good about which research methodology you want to use, make sure you start thinking early about how you are going to recruit your participants. You need to consider whether or not you will have easy access to your potential participants. Also consider the number of study participants, inclusion and exclusion criteria for your participants, length of time it is going to take you, cost, and any limitations you may be confronted with. After doing that, ask yourself whether or not your project is still doable. If not, you will need to fine tune.

Keep an open mind about your research methodology. If you want to ask questions that lean towards a quantitative study and you are afraid of stats, don't let that keep you from doing your study. You can learn how to analyze the data, as well as explain it, in your defense with the help of a statistician (see HelpWithStatistics.com). Last, consider a mixed method study, as this may be something that will work well with your research study.