The methods section of a research paper provides the information needed to verify and replicate the study being reported. It provides information on selection of participants, materials used, design of the study, procedures used for data collection, and methods used for analyses. It allows readers to examine the appropriateness of the methodology and the validity/reliability of the results.
Having a clear, organized, and thorough methods section is important for research papers across all subject areas. Here are some tips for writing an effective methods section or procedure for your research paper:
Introduction to the Methods Section
The methods section should begin with an introductory paragraph that provides an overview of how the study was conducted. This helps establish the overall structure of the methodology. The introduction should state the design of the study (e.g. experimental, correlational, case study, etc.), variables being investigated, participants, and procedures used at a broad level.
For example:
“The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of background music on word recall performance. A between-subjects experimental design was used with 50 undergraduate psychology students recruited from a large midwestern university. Participants were randomly assigned to either the music condition or no music condition. In the music condition, participants completed the word recall task while listening to instrumental music. Those in the no music condition completed the task in silence. The primary dependent variable was number of words correctly recalled from a presented list. Procedures are described in further detail below.”
Selection of Participants
The methods section should provide specific details about eligibility criteria, recruitment strategies, and characteristics of participants. You should clearly describe the population your participants were sampled from and criteria they needed to meet to be eligible for the study.
For example:
“Participants were undergraduate students between the ages of 18-25 currently enrolled in introductory psychology courses. They were recruited through the university’s online research participation system and received course credit for participating. Potential participants were excluded if they had a diagnosed reading disability or could not read or speak English fluently. A total of 50 students (25 males, 25 females) with a mean age of 20.3 years were included in the study.”
Materials
Provide a clear description of all materials used in conducting the study – anything participants interacted with or that were used to conduct procedures and collect data. Describe materials in sufficient detail that other researchers could acquire or create comparable materials for replication purposes.
For example:
“All materials were presented to participants on a 15.6-inch laptop computer using E-Prime 3.0 experimental software. The word list for the recall task contained 20 common nouns selected from the Toronto Word Pool. Words ranged from 3-8 letters in length and were presented one at a time in black 18-point Arial font on a white background for 2 seconds each. The background music in the music condition consisted of a 5-minute instrumental jazz piece by Herbie Hancock without lyrics. Recall responses were recorded using the computer keyboard.”
Design
Describe how participants were assigned to different conditions or groups within the study. Explain the control and experimental groups and procedures in detail. Include information on random assignment, counterbalancing, order of conditions, independent and dependent variables, and any other design elements.
For example:
“The study employed a between-subjects experimental design. Participants were randomly assigned to either the music or no music condition using a random number generator. The independent variable was background music with two levels (music, no music). The primary dependent variable was number of words correctly recalled from the list. As a manipulation check, participants also rated how distracting the background noise was on a 5-point Likert scale.”
Procedures
Provide a step-by-step description of the procedures used with participants, including any preparation steps. Describe what participants were told, what tasks they completed, the sequence and timing of events. Consider including screenshots, images or diagrams to aid clarity.
For example:
“After providing informed consent, participants completed a brief demographic questionnaire on the computer. They were then provided standardized instructions explaining the word recall task as follows: ‘You will see a list of 20 words presented one at a time on the screen. Try your best to remember each word as it will be tested later. The computer will present each word for 2 seconds with a 1 second interval between words.’
In the music condition only, participants were told ‘During the task you will hear background music playing through your headphones. Please keep them on for the duration of the experiment.’ They then clicked ‘Begin’ to start the 5-minute instrumental song before beginning the word list presentation.
After the song ended (music condition) or instructions were provided (no music), the 20 word list was presented sequentially for 2 seconds each with a 1 second interval between. Immediately after, participants were given 2 minutes to type as many words as they could recall into text boxes on the screen from the presented list. Finally, they rated distractions and were thanked and debriefed.”
Data Analysis
Describe the specific statistical or analytical techniques used to analyze the collected data, including inferential tests used and details on their parameters. Provide a clear rationale for why each technique was appropriate. Include information on the alpha level, assumptions, and any follow-up tests as needed.
For example:
“An independent samples t-test was conducted to examine differences in recall performance between the music and no music conditions. Levene’s test confirmed equal variance between groups. One-sample t-tests assessed performance against the chance baseline of 5 words to determine significance over guessing. Effect sizes were also calculated using Cohen’s d. An alpha level of 0.05 was used for all statistical tests. Distraction ratings were analyzed using an independent t-test as well.”
That covers the key components that should be included when writing the methods section or procedure section of a research paper. By providing thorough and detailed information on participant selection criteria, materials, experimental design, procedures used, and analyses conducted, readers are able to understand precisely how the study was carried out. This allows for verification and replication of the methodology, and provides important context for interpreting the significance and reliability of findings. A clearly written methods section is crucial for establishing the scientific rigor and credibility of any research study.
Andrew Stroud