The methodology is the portion of the paper that is located in the body of the study that explains all of the methods that will be used in the research of the study. The methodology chapters contain, besides the introductory paragraph, four basis components, which are the reviews of the problems that might appear while doing the study; a general definition or overview of the approach that will be taken in regards to the subject; a description of how the required data will be obtained; and the analytical procedure used to come to the conclusions based on the found information.

While the introductory paragraph addresses the issue at hand, the following paragraphs should not. Instead, they should focus on the methods used to gather the needed information and data. This method of research also needs to be backed up with relevant outside sources. It is also in this section that it can be noted why certain research methods were not used, and why the ones that were used were more relevant. Not only is it necessary to understand why certain methods work, but to also understand why certain methods do not.

Other things that can be noted in this section are the different variables that played roles and had great impacts on the outcome of the study, outside of the actual methods used. A separate thesis for the methodology would go after this to account for the extra variables that make themselves known during the study, as these also vital to the outcome of the study.

The importance of a methodology section is to inform the reader of the approaches that were taken to gain results during the study. It is important for others to see the relevance that the study has, and this can be accomplished when they are presented with proof and references that show what steps were taken and how the study played out.