Research Methodology in Report Writing: Common Mistakes to Avoid
Have you ever worked on report writing in your college or university? If yes, then you must already know that there is a section called research methodology. Ohh, great, you know about this important section of research methodology in report writing.
Let me ask you one more question. Do you also know what to include and avoid in this section? As guessed, you do not have any idea about this. Keep in mind that without knowing things to avoid, you cannot write a good research methodology. Therefore, today’s article is all about explaining the untold mistakes you must avoid in research methodology in report writing. But before that, let’s take a look at what is a research methodology.
What is a research methodology?
The research methodology explains all the things about chosen methods of research. While writing a report, it is necessary to use some kind of method to know what you want to know. So, the particular methods you use to get to your desired location and the reasons to choose those methods to come in research methodology. I hope you have a complete idea of what a research methodology in report writing section is.
Common Mistakes To Avoid in Research Methodology
From the discussion above, you know what a research methodology is. But the main topic is highlighting the mistakes you must avoid in this important section. What are those mistakes? Let’s not make you wait further. A brief description of all the mistakes you must avoid is as follows as shared by a cheapest dissertation writing services:
1. Not explaining how the data was collected
As mentioned earlier, the research methodology section is about giving information on the chosen methods. Obviously, the data collection is directly linked to the research methods. It is because you have applied those chosen methods and collected the data. Therefore, you must not refrain from explaining even a small detail about the data collection process. It is necessary as it forms the base of your whole report. Hence, do not miss out on any detail about the data collection and data analysis.
2. Failure to provide the background information
Background information is necessary for each section of a report because it forms the overall base. In the case of research methodology in report writing, you must provide the justified literature reasons for choosing the particular methodology. It is what it means to provide background information in this section. Know that without providing good background information or sound literature support for your chosen methods, you may face the consequences. Those consequences can be in the form of lower readership or your teacher asking you to add the background information. Therefore, you must avoid not giving proper background knowledge about the methodology.
3. Writing the research methodology in Active Voice
Another mistake that most students make is writing the methodology in active voice tense. You should know that this is not the way to go. You have to use passive voice instead of active. Now, you must be thinking about why is it necessary to do so. The answer is simple. You have to put more stress on the action itself, not the person who is doing the action. In this context, you must always use passive voice.
4. Skipping the limitation section of your research
Nothing is perfect in this world. No one can deny this statement. The same goes for the research methods. Not a single research method is perfect enough. Every method has some limitations, and discussing those limitations is necessary. Now, what do most students do? They skip this part, thinking that it leaves a bad impression on the reader’s mind. No, it does not leave any bad impression. The negative point is when you do not discuss the limitations. So, you must not skip the limitation section no matter what happens.
5. Going off the topic
This is one mistake you must avoid in the whole report, particularly in the research methodology in report writing. It has been seen that many students just go off their topic and start talking about things other than the methodology. For such students, you must not make such mistakes and stick to the research questions. When you stick to the questions, you go in the right direction. It is because those questions do not let you get off track and compel you to think the straight way.
6. Misformatting the methodology section
Never ever forget to read the guidelines provided by the teacher. Those guidelines are the guiding light that you must follow to ensure the highest grade. Many of the students do not follow the formatting guidelines and fail to grab good grades. There are also examples of those students who conducted good research and talked about everything but failed due to misformatting. Therefore, you must not follow the footsteps of such students and format the methodology section properly per your teacher’s guidelines.
7. Underestimating the editing and proofreading stage
Another unforgivable mistake that students make is underestimating the editing and proofreading stage. These two stages are the backbone of good research methodology in report writing. It is because the first draft is not always the final draft. After finishing the first draft, still, there are many mistakes that need to be rectified. So, you must not avoid doing the editing and proofreading. Ensure that you go through all the text line by line. Do not miss out on any spelling and typing errors unattended. Also, make sure the sentence structure is good throughout the report. Checking these things is necessary to write a good report.
Conclusion
Writing a research methodology in report writing is not an easy task. However, it is a common belief that you can write a very good methodology section with proper guidelines. Just focus on one thing. It can be the things to do or things not to do. When you focus on one of these things, perfection comes to your methodology section automatically. Hence, read, follow, and write your methodology section by avoiding the things mentioned above.
