Methodology Organization, Style and Format

• Methodology is centered on the page
• Headings and subheadings are meant to help direct the reader through this section. They are labels, not sentences.
• The headings and subheadings match those in the Results section to enable the reader to grasp quickly the relationship of a specific method to the corresponding results.
• The procedures in the Methodology section are given in the order that they were done during actual conduct of the experiment.
• Materials used in the study like glasswares, equipment and chemicals are enumerated or listed individually as in a laboratory manual. Amounts of materials indicated are accompanied by appropriate units of measurement.
• Standard analyses are not described in great detail. However, modification/ improvements done in such routine analyses are stated in detail. Choice of alternative methods of analysis is also explained.
• Photographs or flow diagrams are used to illustrate the samples, equipment, working model of the designed apparatus and schematic outline of the processes employed.
• Abbreviations are never used on first citations. The same rule applies to scienctific names. They are spelled out completely on first citation; hoever, abbreviations may be used in later citations. E.g., Escherichia coli is abbreviated as E.coli.
• In the research report, the Methodology section is written in the past tense. The passive voice is generally used. Personal pronouns are not used and instead the researchers are alluded to using the third person. Example: The researcher analyzed the samples for protein content using the modified Kjeldahl method.
• If the sentence starts with a number, the number is spelled out. Example: Ten grams of malunggay leaves were mixed with 50 ml of tap water to prepare an aqueous extract of the sample.