METHODS SECTION NOTES – STEP ONE: Breathe. The methods section is the paint by number. If someone wanted to replicate your study, this is the how to guide to make that happen. How did you find your subjects or texts? How did you analyze… this is not your opinion, just what you are going to be doing. STEP TWO: Remember, up until now your paper should have introduced your topic and then built an argument as to what research surrounds your topic (literature review.) Your methods section is the way for your audience to understand your process. If they really wanted to replicate the study, this is the step-by-step way that it can be done. STEP THREE: A. Data… What we need here is the “what” of your project. What is the data? (What are you planning on analyzing? Interviews, newspaper content, movie segments… etc. B. Materials and information: Do you need a voice recorder? If so, how are you going to get it? If you are doing phone interviews, are you buying the phone recorder? a. Are there issues particular to any of your materials? If you are using a sound recorder, how do you ensure privacy? b. Are there limitations that will stem from using that particular material (audio versus video) C. Who provides this data or materials? a. Who/What is your population and how did you access them? b. Who/What are your participants, or what materials are you using – how did you make that decision? c. Sample size (right now you are guessing as you don’t really know your saturation point. If you don’t have a specific number simply make a statement such as, “I intend on using 10% of all examples… or I intend on collecting data for two months…” d. Do we need to know anything in particular about your sample? If not everyone, who? How did you choose? In what way did you choose your sample? (Convenience sample – those who offer to participate; Snowball sample – asking someone to identify someone else, who then identifies someone else; Partial sample – percent of total, random sample of total, particular partial example that meets a particular guideline. D. Questionnaire or measures are you using? a. If you are using something someone else designed (scales or survey questions) how do you know about reliability (how has it been tested/developed) Justify this measure over others – answer the why question (Why this one?) b. If YOU are creating the measure i. Why are you developing a new measure (the purpose that it serves – which could be as there is no current way to measure this item.) ii. How did you choose to develop the parts and pieces – did you take elements from other interviews or surveys and put them together? iii. What type of format will you use? Qual survey versus interview, document versus face-to-face. iv. How will you assess reliability? Reliability checking with another person – data checking… looking for consistency in triangulated methods. E. Methods or techniques used a. What are the variables (the items of study) b. How are you going to control for other outside variables?