It is a fact that most students have no clear understanding about the research methodology used while writing dissertation papers. This is perhaps because they may have stuck to only formal research in their academic years before.
A research for dissertation actually governs the organisation of the investigations in order to collect and comprehend the facts and information that contribute to the selected field. Therefore, the way in which the research needs to be conducted (the methodology) is vital. There are two types of research methodologies namely, Quantitative and qualitative.
A qualitative research features almost a never ending or unlimited investigation, while a quantitative research involves limited investigation. Further, textual data and errors are common in qualitative research, while numerical data and statistical errors are common in the quantitative one. Moreover, qualitative research focuses on the internal view, while the quantitative one emphasizes on the external view.
In case of quantitative research, it is not that easy to collect data from all possible sources or community members. Therefore, an example of a community or representative is considered for sampling in this research. There are different ways of sampling: Purposeful exampling for investigating a specific community such as the Jews, kids in school, or construction labourers, Quota exampling for exploring examples in several parts like considering 300 males between the age group of 30-50 with regards to the effectiveness of a particular product.