Methods section typically consists of four basic elements apart from presenting an overview of the research design: data or samples, materials, procedure and data analysis (Table 4.3), which can be used as subheadings so that readers can find the information they need easily.
Sections | Moves | |
Research design | Providing overview and/or research setting | |
The data or sample subsection | Move 1: describing data sources, such as the data size and location, the sample population, its characteristics. Move 2: introducing the criteria for data collection or the sampling technique, and data collection procedure. Move 3: indicating the advantages or restrictions (e.g. representative) in choosing the sample. | |
The materials subsection | Move 4: describing research apparatus such as what materials like equipment and tools you used to run your experiment or surveys and to acquire data, including the source of materials. | |
The procedure subsection | Move 5: recounting experimental process, giving the reader a summary of each step in the execution of the research or experiments. Move 6: describing experimental variables. Move 7: justifying the methods and procedures employed. | |
The data analysis subsection | Move 8: evaluating and categorizing the data collected from experiments or surveys by using some data analysis method. It might define terminologies, introduce analytical instrumental procedure and justify analysis procedure. |

