Methodology Writing Workshop Illuminates the Crafting of Research Papers
On March 2, 2020, the Women's Scientific Research Committee of the Bachelor of Arts in English program hosted the third session in the Academic Writing Workshop series. The workshop was led by Dr. Nada Alqarni, the Supervisor of the Department of English.
The session was dedicated to navigating the methodology section in research papers, a critical aspect often confronted by researchers. Dr. Alqarni emphasized that the primary purpose of the methods section is to detail the research design and procedures employed to collect and analyze data. It should also present a solid rationale for the selection of each method for the study. Importantly, the methods section must provide a detailed account of the research execution to allow other researchers to assess the research merit and possibly replicate the study.
Dr. Alqarni pointed out that the methodology section should provide an explicit description of the precise procedures and rationale behind developing data-sets, results, and conclusions in an empirical research study. Though it does not typically include much background knowledge, the section should be replete with justifications, explanations, and examples.
"The methodology encompasses four key elements," Dr. Alqarni asserted. These elements include the research design, the population sample and participant selection, the data collection procedures, and the statistical treatment or planned data analysis. She also touched upon essential methodological concepts such as variables, reliability, validity, bias, and error. Furthermore, she examined aspects of the study design, including the study setting and population, as well as the study's sample or units of evaluation.
Expounding on data collection methods, Dr. Alqarni discussed qualitative research, interviews, and observational studies. She followed this with examples illustrating the methods of data collection and the typical language tense and grammatical structures used in methodology writing.
The workshop was attended by both students and teaching staff, culminating in a vibrant question-and-answer session that provoked thoughtful dialogue around the subject matter.
