Introduction
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1. Presenting methodology
2. Comprehension check

Presenting methodology (optional) (Move 3, Step 2)

In this unit we look at how to briefly present your methodology. Complete follow-up comprehension activities in the next tab to check your understanding of this unit.

This part of the Introduction section is the space to briefly introduce the methodological approach to carrying out the study in light of the stated purpose, research questions and/ or hypotheses. This is usually done in one or a few sentences. The part does not have to be detailed, as more information on the study’s methodology is reserved for the Methods (Methodology) section (see the Methods module). Yet, specific data collection tools (surveys, tests, participant observations, interviews, etc.) and procedures for analyzing the data (e.g., different types of statistical analyses, content analysis of written documents) are often mentioned. Additionally, some studies may include information on materials that will be used at subsequent stages. What to include in the description of the methodology will depend on the given field and the nature of your study.

Examples:

Here are some examples of "Methods" descriptions in Introductions:

  1. This article will proceed to analyze how tobacco control policy has developed in Ireland, based upon multiple sources, including documents, case studies, quantitative data, and interviews with those involved in the policy process (Studlar, 2015) (Political Science) .
  2. Departing from the common practice of comparing second moments implied by the model with second moments observed in the data, we will compare model forecast error statistics with the same statistics obtained with professional forecasts (Azevedo, 2015) (Economics).
  3. Specifically, we will assess how and in what ways encounters with the criminal justice system influence citizens’ political attitudes and behaviors, using two data sources that allow us to estimate this relationship (Weaver & Lerman, 2010) (Political Science).
  4. To study the conditional impact of conflict news framing on mobilization, we will employ a multimethod research design including content analysis and a two-wave panel survey. The content analysis will be used to investigate how the news media in the different EU member states have covered the campaign, and the panel survey will be used to assess the impact of such coverage on voter turnout (Schuck, Vliegenthart, & De Vreese, 2016) (Political Science).

Note:

In some cases, the methodology and the general purpose may be described in one and the same sentence, as in the following examples. The first part of the sentence explains what the study’s purpose is (“assess the causal effects of smth on smth”), while the second part explains how its purpose can be achieved:

  1. This study advances understanding in this area by assessing the causal effect of contexts on individual political orientations by tracking the preferences of individuals before and after residential moves, over an eighteen-year period (Gallego, Buscha, Sturgis, & Oberski, 2016) (Political Science).
  2. We investigate the effect of news media coverage of the election on individual turnout, while controlling for many of the usual explanatory factors for turnout (Schuck et al., 2016) (Political Science).

See the Methods module for more detailed information about the language used for describing a study’s methodology:

Previous topic: Stating the study's hypothesis
Next topic: Stating expected outcomes
Task 1
Task 2

Presenting Methodology in Introductions: Comprehension check

Say if the following statements are true (T) or false (F):

1. Methodology descriptions in Introduction sections are usually quite detailed.
2. Specific ways of collecting data (data collection tools) can be mentioned.
3. Surveys, tests, and participant observations are examples of data collection tools through which specific types of data can be obtained.
4. Data analysis procedures are a necessary component of Methods descriptions in Introductions.
5. The general purpose of the study and some details on its methodology can be described in the same sentence.

Examples of Methodology statements in Introductions

Read these adapted extracts (1 to 3) and answer the question below each extract:

Text 1 (Source: Belz, J., & Muller-Hartmann, A. (2003). Teachers as intercultural learners: Negotiating German-American telecollaboration along the institutional fault line. The Modern Language Journal, 87(1), 71–89.)

Therefore, it is necessary to ascertain which socioinstitutional conditions have meaning for the execution and management of which telecollaborative partnerships at which time and in which ways. In order to investigate these claims, we will present a self-reflective case study of our development as teacher-learners of telecollaboration in a 10-month telecollaboration project. Our retrospective and reflective metacommentaries on this correspondence will comprise our data set.

Which of the following do the authors NOT mention in this extract:
Text 2 (Source: Hu, G., & Lam, S.-T. (2010). Issues of cultural appropriateness and pedagogical efficacy: Exploring peer review in a second language writing class. Instructional Science, 38(4), 371–394.)

In this paper, we aim to explore peer review regarded by a number of researchers (Connor & Asenavage 1994; Nelson & Carson, 1998) as potentially problematic for use as an instructional activity. We will examine peer review in terms of cultural appropriateness and pedagogical efficacy for students from a specific cultural background. The study will be conducted in the context of an English as a second language (ESL) academic writing class attended by postgraduate students from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) at a university in Singapore.

Which of the following do the authors NOT mention in this extract:
Text 3 (Source: Courtney, M. (2015). Social background and intra-party attitudes in Ireland. Irish Political Studies, 30(2), 178–198).

The analysis will begin with an assessment of the degree of intra-party variation in substantive political attitude items and the extent to which intra-party attitudes are delineated by the social background characteristics of its members. To test the relationship between social background characteristics and intra-party attitudes, the paper will draw on data from surveys and interviews with candidates, Teachta Da´la (TDs) (members of parliament; MPs) and Senators.

Which of the following do the authors NOT mention in this extract:
 
 
 
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Next topic: Stating expected outcomes