Thesis Methodology Planner

Why it helps

Methodology is a chain of decisions, not a paragraph template

Students often know their topic before they can defend how they will study it. Scitong keeps the methodology tied to accepted Blueprint fields, so design, sample, measures, procedure, and analysis are not planned in isolation.

Open decisions stay visible. If the sample is uncertain, an instrument is missing, or the analysis does not match the question yet, the planner treats that as something to resolve before moving forward.

Connect research design to the accepted research question
Plan sample, recruitment, instruments, and procedure
Keep supervisor-dependent decisions separate from confirmed fields
Prepare the later survey, data, and analysis stages

Methodology workflow

1

Check the Blueprint

Start from the accepted research question, constructs, hypotheses, and constraints.

2

Plan the design

Clarify whether the thesis needs a survey, experiment, interview, case study, or other approach.

3

Define data needs

Record sample, recruitment, instruments, procedure, and data collection requirements.

4

Prepare analysis

Connect the method to the later analysis plan so results can answer the research question.

Method fit

Choose a method by matching question, evidence, and access

A methodology is defensible when the method can actually answer the research question. The choice should follow from the question type, the kind of evidence needed, what data you can access, and the rules of your programme.

Survey

Useful when the question asks about relationships between measurable constructs across a defined group.

Works well for attitudes, perceptions, intentions, and self-reported behaviour.
Weak fit if you need deep explanations or cannot reach enough respondents.

Experiment

Useful when the thesis compares conditions and asks whether a controlled change affects an outcome.

Works well for stimuli, messages, disclosures, interfaces, and scenarios.
Weak fit if the independent variable cannot be ethically or practically manipulated.

Interview

Useful when the question asks how people interpret, experience, or make sense of a situation.

Works well for processes, meanings, barriers, and decision-making.
Weak fit if the thesis needs population-level estimates or statistical testing.

Case study

Useful when the project studies a bounded organisation, project, event, policy, or programme in context.

Works well with documents, interviews, observations, or internal records.
Weak fit if the question claims broad generalisation from one small case.

Secondary data

Useful when reliable existing datasets or documents can answer the question without new data collection.

Works well for trends, comparisons, archives, public datasets, and platform records.
Weak fit if the available variables do not match the constructs in the question.

Mixed methods

Useful when the thesis needs both measurement and explanation, and the scope is still realistic.

Works well when one method clearly supports the other.
Weak fit if it is chosen only because the student is unsure what to prioritise.

Example methodology decision

Question

How does perceived influencer credibility relate to purchase intention among Dutch undergraduate students?

Best fit

A quantitative survey can fit if the thesis measures influencer credibility and purchase intention with defined scales and tests the relationship between them.

Needs care

The method does not prove causality unless the design manipulates credibility or exposure. If the claim is causal, an experiment may be more defensible.

Chapter wording

This study uses a cross-sectional survey to examine the association between perceived influencer credibility and purchase intention. The design supports relationship testing, while causal conclusions remain outside the scope of the study.

Methodology planning matrix

Decision	What to write down	Common mistake
Design type	Name the design and explain why it fits the question, not only what the method is called.	Choosing a survey, interview, or experiment because it feels familiar rather than because it answers the question.
Sample	Define who belongs in the study, how participants or cases will be found, and what limits the sample.	Writing a broad population claim while only having access to a narrow convenience sample.
Measures or materials	List scales, interview topics, documents, stimuli, or datasets and connect each one to a construct.	Adding interesting questions or variables that are not needed to answer the research question.
Procedure	Describe the order in which participants, cases, or documents are handled.	Skipping practical details that affect reliability, consent, or interpretation.
Analysis plan	Explain how the collected data will be analysed and how that analysis answers each question or hypothesis.	Planning analysis after collection, when the data may not support the intended test or comparison.

Common questions

Can it help choose a method?

It helps you compare the method implied by your question, constructs, data access, and programme requirements.

What if my design is not quantitative?

The planner is structured around thesis decisions, so qualitative and mixed designs can still be recorded and reviewed.

Does it write the Methodology chapter?

Scitong can prepare a reviewable methodology draft from accepted Blueprint fields, but you remain responsible for editing and accepting it.