**3. Methods and materials**

Methods and materials in research writing logistics are those techniques or specific procedures which are used by researchers to help at classifying, choosing and processing data about a subject that is being studied. Therefore, this is the section where this chapter has displayed all methods and methodologies of research used when this investigation was conducted [29].

#### **3.1 Research approach**

For the purpose of this investigation, qualitative approach was seen as the most prominent research method with its aid when there were engagements between the author and study participants [30]. As collaborations were further extended due to the nature of debates, there became an emergent understanding in relation to university postgraduate student' experiences in their real-life situations when expected to undertake academic journey of dissertation writing despite scarcity of intervention strategies such as academic writing retreats.

#### **3.2 Methodological design**

Embedded in this qualitative investigation is a case study design. A case study is renowned with its characteristic of generating in-depth yet considerate understanding of compound concerns entangling humans in their real-life situations [31]. It is for this purpose that there emerged some interest to explore how postgraduate students

are recipients to dissertation and thesis writing could be capacitated at accomplishing academic language enhancement through academic writing retreat trajectory. For postgraduate students to experience such challenges is worth a great concern as their publications are revealed out there for the entire scholars around the world to perceive and aspire.

#### **3.3 Population and sampling**

Population for this investigation entails all students enrolled for Honours' and Masters' Programme in one selected university, an institution of higher learning in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Therefore, the sample specifically for this study entailed four purposefully nominated participants of which two were registered Honours and the other two were registered for the Masters' programme [32]. Research resonates that identifying participants in a purposeful manner is when a researcher selects those with experience in relation to the investigated field of study, relevant, as well as accessible. Participants willingly agreed to take part in this investigation after clarities were made that both their identities and responses were to be kept anonymous and that at any given point in time when they felt threatened, they had access or withdrawal rights [33]. For this investigated institution to offer only a single academic writing retreat once yearly for postgraduate students, it was proved imperious that the selected participants proved to be the relevant sample to supply findings of this inquiry with the projected outcomes, as envisaged by the inquiry itself.

#### **3.4 Research instruments**

As advocated by the nature of this inquiry being a qualitative one, semi-structured interviews were administered as data collection tools, as yet this type of tool allowed for robust engagements between the interviewer and the interviewed as essential and critical themes were distinguished [34]. Contained in the interview schedule were open-ended questions which allowed participants a huge ground to respond as far as one would have anticipated. Items asked were centred on viewpoints by postgraduate students with regard to solely depending on allocated supervisors for professional guidance in dissertation and thesis writing, taking into note that capacitation activities such as academic research writing retreats were more than the word scarce. Time factor proved to be a major limitation as both the researcher and participants were workers serving in different sectors. This led to the investigation not finished at the anticipated period as some of the appointments secured would abort due to diverse logistics factors. Interviews commenced during September month and could only be consolidated mid-November and that was when the researcher was able to collate on analysing all collected data.

#### **3.5 Data collection procedures**

On each of the arranged meetings between the interviewer and interviewees, all participants' responses were recorded to ensure that no single response was left uncaptured and unnoticed. When participants could no longer respond and reflect on any new sources of information, and after the researcher had exhausted at posing some follow-up questions which were primarily not contained in the original interview schedule, there was a feeling that interviews had then reached a point of saturation. It was during this period that analysis of data began. This was done by playing and re-playing all recordings, repeatedly done for the purposes of ensuring *Perspective Chapter: Writing Retreat – A Trajectory towards Academic Language Enhancement DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109683*

that all information was well captured and perceived. During this process, there emerged some similarities, relationships and connections. Research allows that such sub-categories of responses be classified together as a single category, thereby leading to formation of themes discussed subsequently as findings of the study [35].
