Methodologies and Critical Analysis

Evidence the ability to use logic, reasoning, and critical judgement to analyse ideas from a range of primary and secondary sources and employ critical and theoretical methodologies to evaluate examples from the relevant subject discipline. 

Evidence the capacity for undertaking a wide range of independent practical and theoretical research that demonstrates an informed application.

Methodology

• every research project needs to have a methodology 
• every research project will have some sort of methodology, even if it is ill through out, or you don't recognise it as such.

Methodology is

- A logical, systematic and structured way of organising a research project and gathering necessary information. 
- Evidence that you have reflected critically on various research methods and chosen the ones that are most appropriate for your particular research project.
- Set/system of methods, principles, and rules for regulating a given discipline (research).

Offers the theoretical underpinning for understanding which method, set of methods can be applied to a specific case. 

What kind of research methods
Quantitative or qualitative 
What do you think your methods will enable you to discover?
What might they prevent you from discovering?
What kinds of research methods would be best suited to the kind of research you are undertaking and the researc questions you are pursuing?
What sort of problems do you envisage in setting up these methods?
What are their benefits?
What will you need to do to ensure they gather useful data?
- The Postgraduate Research Handbook, Gina Wisker (chapters 13, 14 & 15)

Methodology may include:

• Literature review; libraries, journals, internet
• Questionnaires; sample size, reliability and validity
• Interviews; structured or unstructured?
• Sketchbooks, critical diaries, reflective logs

Outline your methodology at the start of the dissertation

- Evidence the methodological decisions you've made, and strategies for the project 

Critical Analysis

• Critical; to separate or to choose, selecting from a variety of options, informed decision making. 
• The most appropriate/valid answer from the options
• Reasoned thinking; stepping away and using evidence and logic to come to your conclusions

Where was the author/artist/designer/photographer situated?

Try to consider different points of view.

Context is everything

Consider the influence of one or more of the following;

the time, the place, society, politics,economics, technology, philosophy, scientific thought

Argument:

What do I want to say? 

Need a purpose of discussion, finding something out. 

Have i got the evidence to back it up?

Could you find more evidence to support your conclusions?

Where else do I need to look order to find more evidence?

Evidence Triangulation 

Multiple sources to answer question, throwing multiple ideas at one subject to find most appropriate. 
Pitting alternative theories against the same body of data.

Evaluation
You need to show the reader that your are evaluating the evidence for its relevance and reliability.
Looking at and coming to conclusions about the value of your evidence.