Structure of the Methodology Section

A scientific researcher would typically state their objectives in the introduction parts. The rest of the research will aim at those objectives. Usually, scientific research seeks to establish a cause and effect interaction among the variables.

The Methods part of your research should consist of three parts; the subjects, instruments and procedure. These three elements must be properly explained in the interest of full disclosure. When the subjects are human, we call them participants. 

In any research that involves human or animal subjects, you need to state clearly the procedures used to ensure that the subjects are treated ethically. Every discipline has a set of ethical practices regarding scientific research. Make sure you follow them to the letter and disclose the steps taken in your Methods section.

Research relevant literature

To have a standard Methods section, you should look through existing literature in related papers. It gives you useful information on the apparatus used and modes of presentation. This preliminary research is helpful if you write my college papers for first time or you’re venturing into a new field.

It would be best if you took examples only from the best research papers. This means you must know where to look. For medical and health-related research, PubMed and MEDLINE have trusted sources. Google Scholar is also an excellent place to start your search. 

When searching for literature, include essential words that are in your research objective. You may also add synonyms that other researchers may use in their topics.

Parts of the Methods segment of a Research

• Previous literature

After doing the needed research to choose your method, you need to reference those sources. It’s easy to overlook this because you didn’t use their research findings. However, it’s in the interest of best practice to reference their work.

• Research Subjects

You are required to provide full information about the subjects that participate in your research. In the case of non-human subjects, you must disclose your source, and the conditions used while doing the research. The food, shelter, age, sex and state of the animals must be disclosed. 

• Selection criteria

This section explains the process used in selecting the research subjects. Since you can only do your research with a fraction of the full population, you must state how you arrived at the sample.  

• Grouping

Every scientific study will involve at least two groups. In this section, you will clearly state the characteristics that you considered when grouping them. 

• Procedure

This section explains the apparatus, study design, and the manipulation of the subjects to test for the variables.  The length of each procedure should be properly outlined.