Research methodology is the foundation of any scientific inquiry. It guides researchers on the best way to conduct their investigation, ensuring that your study follows a well-structured process and yields valuable insights.
Scientists experiment with various social, scientific, and other issues. Researchers adopt different available research methodologies that suit their study better.
Research as a scientific tool helps these researchers to measure sample data with minimum biases and a much higher accuracy rate. This helps them to confidently put forth a conclusion to society, knowing that the data gathered is legit and the results drawn from the studies are systematic and statistically sensible.
In this article, we will be seeing examples of types of research methodology and their basic purpose in a tabular format for better understanding:
Research methodology is a systematic and organized process of planning, executing, and analyzing research studies to gather information on specific questions. It refers to “how” you can design your study to generate reliable results that address the objective.
It includes a set of principles and practices that determine the methods you can employ in your research process.
→ What type of data do you want to collect?
→ Who should you collect the data from?
→ How to gather reliable data?
→ How or what methods should be used for data analysis?
The primary purpose of research methodology is to provide a clear outline of how you should conduct your research. This helps you in the following ways.
1. Guides your research design process.
2. Helps focus on research objectives to ensure the study follows a systematic manner.
3. Systematically explore the research goal.
4. Ensures reliability and validity of research findings.
5. Provides a framework for accurate data collection and analysis.
6. Minimize errors and bias.
7. Enable replication of the study in the future to validate the findings.
8. Draw meaningful and insightful conclusions to make informed decisions.
Here we will explore sixteen different research methodology with examples and usage to understand the focus of each type and leverage it correctly.
It is used when the researcher wants to gather more information about a particular topic without considering its practical workings. In social research, this research methodology can help understand the economic mentality of middle-class citizens.
When to use:
It is used to address the STEM fields such as engineering, medicine, etc., which are more closely connected to human lives with their actual applications. A business can analyze the customer’s purchase strategies and plan the marketing accordingly.
When to use:
It is used as a preliminary study for the topics about which no deeper knowledge has been explored yet. A study was conducted to understand the relationship between millennials and social media usage.
When to use:
This research methodology focuses on finding out the characteristics the phenomena show rather than the factors that cause it. Investigating the standard of living in rural and urban areas.
When to use:
It is used to collect, compare, and analyze large descriptive data from the sample.
In healthcare research, you can use this research methodology to understand the impact of exercise on thyroid patients.
When to use:
It gathers the data through close-ended questions and analyzes data using statistics, as well as mathematical and computerized tools. Conducting a market research survey on the likes and dislikes of the customers regarding clothing.
When to use:
It is used to measure the cause-effect relationship between two variables with random sampling. Experiment with patients to test a new drug in the market.
When to use:
It is used as an observational study where participants have experimented in their environment. A study on the effects of a certain education program on a batch of students.
When to use:
Understand how easy it is to create, test, distribute, and design the surveys.
This research methodology is similar to experimental, but the sampling is not random but studied. A study was conducted to know the effects of eating more cheese on bad breath.
When to use:
It focuses on explaining reality with the help of general laws referring to certain conclusions. Research has been conducted to prove that bad domestic treatment can cause anger issues in children.
When to use:
It is also an observational study that focuses on achieving generalized results. A study is conducted to understand the symptoms of the new Covid variant.
When to use:
It first formulates the hypothesis based on basic observation and then uses deductive investigation to conclude the study, which will in return, reject or accept the hypothesis.
Research is conducted to test the hypothesis that diabetic patients have fewer wound healing capabilities.
When to use:
This research methdologyy aims to track the changes in the subject over time. To study the health of a patient under treatment over several weeks.
When to use:
It focuses on observing events, individuals, or groups of subjects over time. To study the health of 10 patients under the same treatment over several weeks.
When to use:
Researchers gather data that is specific to their study, making the data more reliable since it is first-hand information. A researcher decided to study the COVID variant and its impact, as there are very few cases in the country.
When to use:
Researchers use available material like research papers, interviews, and documentaries as a source of data and information in their research. A researcher makes use of pre-existing research papers for his assignment experiment.
When to use:
Meet respondents where they are and drive survey completion.
Choosing the right research methodology is essential for the success of your research. Here are some steps you should consider when selecting the right method.
1. Define the research objective:
Start by defining the objective you want to achieve with your research. Consider what insights/information you need so you can answer the research question.
2. Consider the nature of your research problem:
Look into the nature of your research problem to understand which research methodology will best suit the study. Different types of research problems require different methods.
3. Evaluate available resources:
Assess the availability of resources such as access to information, participants, tools, budget, or time. Some methods may be more resource-intensive than others.
4. Choose appropriate data collection methods:
Based on the research objective and your resources, select the best suited method of data collection. You may leverage survey software to conduct surveys, interviews, or combinations of methods.
5. Adhere to ethical considerations:
Make sure to maintain compliance with ethical considerations related to your research, such as informed consent, confidentiality, and anonymity.
See how Voxco can enhance your research efficiency.
Research methodology serves as a blueprint to guide researchers in conducting a structured study and gathering accurate and reliable data. It ensures that you draw meaningful conclusions and make data-driven decisions.
By understanding the various research methodology examples and their applications, you can determine the most suitable approach and tailor your study to achieve the objective effectively.
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