Reporting What you Did

The Methods section of your report should inform the reader of:

• what you did - your methodology of collection and analysis
• who (and when and where) you did it with or to: your survey population

When you discuss your Methods you are reporting something that took place at a definite time in the past and is completed. The dominant tense is the past tense.

You should reserve any extended discussion of your choice of methodology - e.g.

• explaining why you preferred one particular approach more than other, perhaps more familiar techniques
• pointing out the problems with the other approaches, and then explaining how the approach you have chosen works

- to the end of the Introduction, as you will probably be referring to other studies (& reviewing more literature).