Methodological help to the author of the thesis

When you choose the method, use your common sense: which method works? The methods and practices of conducting development, research etc. may vary, depending on the task and the field of study. The methodological solutions to be applied in a thesis should be close to the prevailing practices and working life, instead of methodological gimmickry or uncritical reproduction of conventional research. The method suitable for the task shall be assertive, credible and reliable. (Anttila 2008.)

The student shall describe the methods clearly in his or her thesis, and explain how he or she has sought a solution to the problem or tasks. He or she shall describe the methods and explain their use so explicitly that the reader can evaluate the methods and their assertiveness and reliability.

WHY EXACTLY THIS METHOD?

When you ponder over the methods and practices, e.g. “I can do a survey”, also think about the reasons for doing it. Why do you think a certain method serves your work? It is not commendable to use statistical methods and try to convince with a “statistical truth” if the survey data is small. Say the number of respondents is 30, what do the percentages indicate? Ten per cent means three people, 100 per cent 30 people. That is not a lot. Statistical methods are not intended for small survey data; their purpose is to extrapolate from large data.

In development projects, furthermore, the “logic of experimentation” aims at the approval of the outcome (affirmation) – e.g. of the fact that a device is working – instead of verifying the outcome (confirmation). Verification shall be done by conducting empirical research. (Anttila 2008.)

A practical piece of advice: write down your ponderings and rewrite them in your thesis.