The methods section tells a reader exactly what you did, in enough detail that someone else could follow it or judge it. This guide walks through design, setting, sample, intervention, data collection and analysis, and shows what a precise paragraph looks like beside a vague one.
Methods are written in the past tense in a final report and in the future tense in a proposal. Either way, the test is transparency: can a reader see what was done, to whom, when, and how it was measured, and can they judge whether the design could answer your aim? Results that look convincing cannot rescue methods that are vague.
Use subheadings that follow the order of your work. A common sequence is design, setting and sample, intervention, measures and data collection, analysis, and ethical considerations. Your program's template sets the final order.
Design. Name it precisely (for example, a pre-post quality improvement project, a mixed-methods program evaluation, a descriptive cross-sectional study) and give the reason it suits your aim. Cite a methods source and, where applicable, the reporting guideline you follow, such as SQUIRE for improvement work. The EQUATOR Network lists guidelines by study type.
Setting. Describe the type of organization, unit and patient volume in general terms, without identifying it.
Sample. State who was eligible, how they were recruited or selected, and any exclusions. Give the size and how you decided on it. In small projects the honest reason is often "all eligible participants during the period"; say that.
Describe what was delivered, by whom, how often, in what format and for how long, plus how fidelity was checked. A useful test is whether a colleague could replicate it from your description. The TIDieR checklist, listed on the EQUATOR site, is a helpful prompt for what to include. Put teaching materials, scripts and checklists in an appendix rather than pasting them in the text.
If the project has a baseline period, explain how long it ran and how it differed from implementation. Mention any changes made along the way and why, because real projects always adapt.
Share your aims, design notes and rubric. The ProNursingScholars team can help you write and structure the section. Details stay confidential.
For every outcome in your aim, give the measure, its definition, its source and its timing. For instruments, report validity and reliability evidence from the developers or later studies, and say whether you used the tool as designed. For data pulled from records, describe who extracted it, how, and how accuracy was checked.
| Outcome | Measure | Source | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screening completion | Screened visits divided by eligible visits | EHR report | Weekly for 12 weeks |
| Staff confidence | Five-item confidence scale | Anonymous survey | Before and after training |
Match each analysis to a measure and level of data: descriptive statistics for baseline characteristics, run charts for measures tracked over time, and paired or independent comparisons where the data suit them, with the software named. For qualitative data, describe the approach to coding and how trustworthiness was supported. Say how you handled missing data. If statistics are outside your comfort zone, the biostatistics help page describes available support.
Close with ethics: the review or determination from your institution and the practice site, consent or waiver arrangements, and how data were protected and de-identified. See IRB and research ethics help for the wider picture.
Fictional project: a pressure-injury risk reassessment reminder in a long-term care setting.
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| Nurses were given education and then data were collected. The results were analyzed with statistics to see if the project worked. | This pre-post quality improvement project took place in one 40-bed long-term care unit. All licensed nurses assigned to the unit (n = 14) attended a 30-minute session on the reassessment reminder. The primary measure was the proportion of residents with a documented risk reassessment within 24 hours of a change in condition, extracted weekly from the electronic record by the project lead for 6 weeks before and 8 weeks after implementation. Weekly proportions were plotted on a run chart and the two periods compared with a chi-square test at a 0.05 significance level. |
The strong version is specific about design, setting, sample, measure, timing and analysis. Details are fictional and should never be copied into a real project.
Future tense in a proposal and past tense in a completed report. Keep to one throughout each version.
Enough for a reader to judge the design and, in principle, repeat it. Move long materials to appendices.
Report the change and the reason in the methods or limitations. Do not rewrite the plan to look as if it never changed.
It depends on the design. Many practice-change projects use convenience samples and say so. Ask your chair and a statistician about what your project requires.