What a methods section must report
The details differ by design. The standard is the same: could a competent reader repeat or audit the work?
By study design
Use this as a first pass, then check the reporting guideline your field uses, such as CONSORT for trials, STROBE for observational studies or COREQ for interviews and focus groups.
| Element | Quantitative | Qualitative |
|---|---|---|
| Design | Experimental, survey, cohort and so on | Approach, such as thematic analysis or grounded theory |
| Participants | Sampling, eligibility, numbers, sample-size reasoning | Sampling strategy, who took part, how saturation was judged |
| Data collection | Instruments, validity and reliability, procedure | Interview guide, setting, recording, who collected the data |
| Analysis | Tests, software, handling of missing data | Coding process, how themes were developed and checked |
| Quality | Bias control, blinding, power | Reflexivity, credibility checks |
| Ethics | Approval and consent | Approval, consent, anonymity |
Mixed methods
Report each strand as above, and add how they relate: which came first, whether one informed the other, and where the findings were brought together. Reviewers of mixed-methods work look for that integration first.
Tense and voice
Use the past tense for what you did. Use the present for things that remain true, such as what a scale measures.
Active voice ("we recruited") is now accepted, and often preferred, by most journals. Check your target journal and stay consistent.
Methods or methodology?
Methods are the procedures. Methodology is the reasoning behind choosing them. A journal article usually needs a methods section with brief justification. A thesis usually needs a methodology chapter that also discusses the research approach and its assumptions.