Research methods are the strategies, processes or techniques utilized in the collection of data or evidence for analysis to uncover new information or create better understanding of a topic. There are different types of research methods which use different tools for data collection.

Research methods and becoming proficient in using them is a key part of undertaking most Master’s degrees, because it is at postgraduate level that you fully refine your research capabilities, either for exploitation in a PhD or for use in a professional context.

My MTA Portfolio absorbed the curriculum of a Master’s degree I very nearly undertook, Creative Technologies and Enterprise. A key part of its curriculum was research methods and studying them from a transdisciplinary perspective.     

When I decided that I was going to build my own Master’s degree, I did not know it would include all the concentrations it ultimately did end up having and I also did not know what I would end up doing as a result of undertaking it.

I included research methods because understanding how research is systematically done using the scientific method enables you to be a more discernable assessor of all types of information.

Additionally, including a deep dive into research methods would be invaluable in a professional context that required research skills and it would also futureproof me if I ever did decide to undertake a full-fledged accredited Master’s degree or PhD.