How will you answer the research questions posed in the introduction to your study?  This is precisely the purpose of the methodology section.  It outlines the methods you will use, but often does much more.  The methodology outlines the paradigms, methods and ethical considerations that guide how you will conduct the research.  

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Methods vary from discipline to discipline but generally it evidences your research design, the thinking and theory motivating the particular steps you took to explore your research topic.

It offers the reader detail on what constitutes your research data, your data collection site, data collection tools, and your choices around organizing, storing and analyzing data.  

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These methods and means of conducting your research have real effects and consequences as you work with and in these areas and contexts, so be aware of the ethical issues that they can pose. You’re making weighty but necessary decisions in your encounters with research participants and sites. Reflect on what drives these actions, their effects, and ways to mitigate harm.

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