Methodology template
Methodology decision table for thesis students
Use this table when you are choosing between research designs. It helps you compare what each method can answer, what evidence it needs, and which tradeoffs you should discuss with your supervisor.
Why methodology needs a decision table
Students often choose a method because it sounds familiar: "I will do a survey" or "I will conduct interviews". That can work, but only if the method fits the research question. A methodology decision table forces you to compare options before you commit.
The table is not about finding the most impressive design. It is about finding a design that can answer your question with the time, access, skills, and data you realistically have. A modest but coherent method is usually stronger than a complex design with weak recruitment, unclear measures, or an analysis you cannot defend.
Copyable methodology decision table
| Decision | Option A | Option B | What to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Question type | Measures a relationship, difference, or association. | Explores experiences, meanings, processes, or interpretations. | Am I asking "how much" or "how does this feel or work"? |
| Design | Survey, experiment, secondary data, or content analysis. | Interviews, focus groups, case study, ethnographic notes, or document analysis. | What kind of evidence would count as an answer? |
| Sample | Enough respondents or observations for the planned analysis. | Information-rich participants or cases that match the question. | Who can actually provide the evidence? |
| Data collection | Questionnaire, platform data, existing dataset, coded material, or experiment stimulus. | Interview guide, observation plan, documents, field notes, or case material. | Can I collect this ethically and on time? |
| Analysis | Descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, t-test, ANOVA, or other planned test. | Thematic analysis, coding framework, pattern comparison, or case synthesis. | Can I explain this analysis in my methodology chapter? |
| Main risk | Weak measures, low sample size, overclaiming causality, or missing assumptions. | Thin data, vague coding, unclear participant selection, or unsupported generalisation. | Which risk is most likely to weaken my thesis? |
Bad-to-better methodology example
Weak method note: I will use a survey because it is easy to distribute.
Ease matters, but it is not a methodology argument. The reader still cannot see why a survey answers the research question.
Better method note: Because the research question asks whether perceived influencer credibility is associated with purchase intention, a survey can measure both constructs across a defined consumer group. If the thesis wants to make a stronger causal claim, the design should change to an experiment with controlled post stimuli.
The better note connects the method to the claim. It also names the limit of the design instead of hiding it.
Quick method fit notes
Quantitative fit
Useful when your question compares groups, measures relationships, tests hypotheses, or estimates how strongly variables are connected. You need clear constructs, defensible measures, enough cases, and an analysis plan you understand.
Qualitative fit
Useful when your question explores experience, meaning, decision processes, or context. You need a careful participant or case logic, a transparent coding approach, and enough depth to support your interpretation.
Mixed methods can be valuable, but only when both parts are needed and feasible. If a mixed design is mainly a way to avoid choosing, simplify the project first. Your supervisor can help decide whether the extra work adds enough value.
What to confirm before data collection
Before collecting data, confirm the decisions that would be painful to change later: inclusion criteria, recruitment route, consent wording, survey or interview questions, planned analysis, and any ethics or data-protection requirements. These are not small formatting details. They shape what evidence the thesis can use.
If your supervisor challenges the method, ask which part is weak. The issue might be the research question, the design, the sample, the instrument, or the analysis. Fixing the right part is much easier than rewriting the whole methodology because the feedback felt general.
Methodology decision checklist
- The method follows the research question instead of personal preference.
- The sample or case selection is realistic and justified.
- The data collection instrument matches the constructs or experiences being studied.
- The analysis plan is named before data collection starts.
- Ethics, consent, privacy, and access constraints are visible.
- The method section names what the design can and cannot claim.
- Open decisions are prepared as supervisor questions.
Common mistakes
One mistake is choosing a method before sharpening the question. If the question changes from "how do employees experience hybrid work?" to "does hybrid work predict wellbeing?", the method may need to change too.
Another mistake is confusing data access with methodology fit. A dataset you can access is useful only if it contains variables that answer the question. Interview participants are useful only if they can speak directly to the experience or decision you study.
A final mistake is writing the methodology as a list of procedures without explaining why those procedures are defensible. A good methodology chapter shows the logic behind the choices, not only the steps.
Plan your methodology in Scitong
Scitong helps you carry your research question, constructs, sample, method, and analysis decisions through the thesis workflow instead of treating them as separate notes.
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