Templates & Worksheets

4. Template 4.1 – Methodology Justification Outline (Module 4)

Use this template to plan and draft your Methodology Justification assessment and to design the methodology section of your capstone project.

A. Working Title and Research Question

·        Working title:

·        Main research question:

·        Any sub‑questions:

B. Objectives and Scope

1.     What are the main objectives of your research? (e.g. clarify, evaluate, compare, propose reform):

2.     What is the scope?

·        Jurisdiction(s):

·        Time period:

·        Subject focus (e.g. specific provision, type of case, group affected):

C. Methodological Approach

Indicate your primary approach(es) and explain briefly:

·        Doctrinal / black‑letter:

·        Comparative:

·        Socio‑legal / empirical:

·        Critical (e.g. feminist, critical race, post‑colonial):

Explain why this approach (or combination) is suitable for your question:

D. Sources and Data

1.     Primary legal sources:

·        Cases:

·        Legislation / regulations:

·        Treaties / international instruments:

2.     Secondary legal sources:

·        Textbooks / monographs:

·        Journal articles:

·        Law reform / policy reports:

3.     Empirical or socio‑legal data (if any):

·        Existing studies and datasets:

·        New data you propose to collect (interviews, surveys, document analysis) – subject to feasibility and ethics:

E. Methods of Analysis

Describe how you will analyse your materials:

·        Doctrinal analysis (e.g. synthesis of case law, interpreting legislation):

·        Comparative technique (e.g. functional comparison, context‑sensitive analysis):

·        Qualitative methods (e.g. thematic coding of interview transcripts or documents):

·        Quantitative methods (e.g. basic descriptive statistics from datasets):

·        Theoretical or conceptual frameworks (e.g. human rights principles, feminist theory):

F. Ethical and Practical Considerations

1.     Ethical issues (especially for empirical work):

·        Need for ethical approval?

·        Informed consent and confidentiality (if relevant):

·        Sensitivity to vulnerable groups or topics:

2.     Practical constraints:

·        Time, word limit, access to data, language barriers:

G. Limitations

Reflect honestly on limitations:

·        What will not be covered (and why)?

·        What types of claims cannot be made (e.g. no broad statistical generalisations from a small qualitative study)?

H. Justification Summary

In a short paragraph, bring the elements together:

·        Why is this methodology appropriate and defensible for your research question?

What kind of contribution do you aim to make (doctrinal clarification, policy insight, critical perspective, etc.)?