Methodology – research study essay sample

Methodology is the part of a research proposal in which the methods to be used are described. The research design, the population to be studied, and the research instruments or tools to be used are discussed here.

Research Design
In this study qualitative approach was followed. A qualitative research design is a research method used extensively by scientists and researchers studying human behaviour and habits. Qualitative methods are often closely allied with interviews, survey design techniques and individual case studies, as a way to reinforce and evaluate findings over a broader scale (Shuttleworth, 2008). A case and field research design is used. It is also called ethnographic research. It uses direct observation to give a complete snapshot of a case that is being studied. It is useful when not much is known about a phenomenon. It uses few subjects. Respondents of the Study

The respondents of the study were seven (7) women that were strategically and purposively chosen based on referral made by the Kadughan Foundation in Bacolod. The range of the age is from 20-50. But we also included those under 20 years old and those above 50 years old. They were contacted for further exploration in narrative-inspired interviews after undergoing mastectomy. Sampling Design

The study utilized non-probability sampling because the study’s respondents need non-estimation of the probability that would be included in the sample. Distinctively, the study used purposive sampling to identify subjects since our subjects are hard to locate. The researchers gathered the data from Bacolod Kadughan Foundation in Bacolod City. Research Instrument

Structured interviews and deep interaction with the subjects were utilized to gain the needed information and data regarding this study. These strategies were based on a research paradigm. This depth interviews were conducted 1 to 2 times with each participant and explored these women’s experiences related to making decisions about the surgery, undergoing, and recovering from mastectomy procedure. Such strategies will enable the researchers find how these group of women survived and perceived their experience of undergoing mastectomy. Validity

Validity, in qualitative research, refers to whether the findings of a study are true and certain. “ True” in the sense that research findings accurately reflect the situation, and “ certain” in the sense that research findings are supported by the evidence. Triangulation is a method used by qualitative researchers to check and establish validity in their studies by analyzing a research question from multiple perspectives. Patton (2002) cautions that it is a common misconception that the goal of triangulation is to arrive at consistency across data sources or approaches; in fact, such inconsistencies may be likely given the relative strengths of different approaches. In Patton’s view, these inconsistencies should not be seen as weakening the evidence, but should be viewed as an opportunity to uncover deeper meaning in the data. In this study, data triangulation is used. This type of triangulation involves using different sources of information in order to increase the validity of a study. It is perhaps the most popular because it is the easiest type to implement. Reliability

A diachronic reliability is observed in this study. Diachronic reliability is understood as the stability of measurements or observations in their temporal course. It is conventionally demonstrated by similarity of measurements or findings taken at different times (Kirk & Miller, 1986). A week interval was observed in conducting the interviews. On the second interview, the researchers asked one of their family members or any person who is actually with them almost all the time and that who does really know them truly. The researchers’ aim is to prove if the respondent’s answers are certainly accurate. Data gathering and procedure

A qualitative research design, guided by the philosophy of phenomenology, was selected to guide the study. Deep Interaction and using semi-structured interviews with the participants were the tools used in data collection. These strategies were chosen because they were congruent with the philosophical framework of the research paradigm and methodology, and enabled access to participants’ experiences.