 |
~Webster's
College Dictionary,
ed. |
 |
The Methods section is a description of how the research
was conducted, including who the participants were, the
design of the study, what the participants did, and what
measures were used.
Narrate the steps of your research so any scientist could replicate your procedure:
|
Describe what or who you measured Describe how you measured subject(s)
|
Were you studying people, bugs, stars, cells, or aliens? Did you give them a questionnaire, count their legs, take pictures of them, or weigh them before and after eating a quarter pounder? Did you measure them with Likert scales, stopwatches, or your eyes? Did you count how many quarter pounders the aliens ate, or did you perform multivariate analysis to compare green and blue aliens? |
-
Detail in the Methods section is important so the reader can determine the appropriateness of the method for answering the scientific questions.
-
It is also important for another researcher to be able to replicate the study.
-
This section reads a lot like a recipe.
-
The following questions will help you evaluate the method:
|
Who
are the participants in
the study? Are
the participants appropriate
for the study? What
is the research design?
Is the design appropriate
for the research question(s)?
What are the measures?
Are the measures appropriate
for addressing the research
question(s)? What ethical considerations are important to address? Are they all addressed in the article? |
-
These questions are a mix of fact-finding questions and critical thinking questions.
-
The Method section contains scientific terms in order to clearly explain procedures to other scientists.
-
It is essential to understand exactly what was done in order to evaluate whether it was done "right."
|
Have you explained the samples used in the study? Are the samples appropriate for the study? What
is the research design? What are the measures? Are the measures appropriate for addressing the research question(s)? What ethical considerations are important to address? |
Sample Methods Section
 |
 |
Introduction
| Faculty | Student
| Research | Livewire
| Chat Room | Message
Board
Discipline-specific Writing | Writing
Instruction | Writing Process | Site
Map
Department of English
| Rutgers University-Camden
| Rutgers University
Department
of English
Armitage Hall, Fourth Floor
Rutgers University,Camden, NJ 08102
Tel: (856) 225-6121, Fax: (856) 225-6602
