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Methodology is defined as (1) "a body of methods, rules, and postulates employed by a discipline", (2) "a particular procedure or set of procedures", or (3) "the analysis of the principles or procedures of inquiry in a particular field"^[1]. The common idea here is the collection, the comparative study, and the critique of the individual methods that are used in a given discipline or field of inquiry. Image File history File links Circle-question. ... With regard to living things, a body is the integral physical material of an individual, and contrasts with soul, personality and behavior. ...

Methodology refers to more than a simple set of methods; rather it refers to the rationale and the philosophical assumptions that underlie a particular study. This is why scholarly literature often includes a section on the methodology of the researchers. This section does more than outline the researchers’ methods (as in, “We conducted a survey of 50 people over a two-week period and subjected the results to statistical analysis,” etc.); it might explain what the researchers’ ontological or epistemological views are. (See ontology , epistemology) In philosophy, ontology (from the Greek , genitive : of being (part. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Example

For instance, do the researchers believe in the positivist (see Positivism) paradigm, which holds that truth is out there, waiting to be discovered? In this view, facts exist independently of any theories or human observation. This is very much a view in the Western philosophical tradition, which informs Western science: reality is assumed to be objective – that is, it exists outside of our perceptions of things. And so, in this paradigm, neither the search for truth nor truth itself is problematic; Truth (with a capital "T") is definite and ascertainable. The “men in white coats” conduct an empirical experiment in a lab and then pronounce to the rest of us what they, as “experts,” have discovered. Positivism is a philosophy developed by Auguste Comte (widely regarded as the first true sociologist) at the beginning of the 19th century that stated that the only authentic knowledge is scientific knowledge, and that such knowledge can only come from positive affirmation of theories through strict scientific method. ... Since the late 1960s, the word paradigm (IPA: ) has referred to a thought pattern in any scientific discipline or other epistemological context. ...

Or is truth constructed (see Constructivism, Constructivist epistemology) within the minds of individuals and between people in a culture? In this view, facts become "facts," and are a construct of theories and points of view. This paradigm holds that both the nature of truth and the inquiry into that truth are problematic because truth is built (or constructed) from the ongoing process of negotiation, reevaluation and refinement of and between individuals. Constructivism may refer to: constructivism (mathematics), a view on mathematical proofs constructivism (art), an artistic movement in Russia from 1914 onward constructivism (learning theory) constructivism, an approach to language acquisition in linguistics Constructivism in international relations constructivist epistemology, the philosophical view This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles... Constructivism is a recent development in philosophy which criticizes essentialism, whether it is in the form of medieval realism, classical rationalism, or empiricism. ...

So, in a properly conceived methodology, a researcher will explain his or her fundamental approaches to reality.

Set of methods

Most sciences have their own specific methods, which are supported by methodologies (i.e., rationale that support the method's validity). Science in the broadest sense refers to any system of knowledge attained by verifiable means. ...

The social sciences are methodologically diverse using both qualitative methods and quantitative methods, including case studies, survey research, statistical analysis, and model building among others. Qualitative research is one of the two major approaches to research methodology in social sciences. ... Quantitative methods are research methods concerned with numbers and anything that is quantifiable. ... Case studies involve a particular method of research. ... Statistical surveys are used to collect quantitative information in the fields of marketing, political polling, and social science research. ... Statistics is the science and practice of developing knowledge through the use of empirical data expressed in quantitative form. ...

In software engineering and project management, 'methodology' is often used to refer to a codified set of recommended practices, sometimes accompanied by training materials, formal educational programs, worksheets, and diagramming tools. While these would be more accurately referred to as methods, the word methodology is more grandiloquent. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Project management is the discipline of organizing and managing resources in such a way that these resources deliver all the work required to complete a project within defined scope, time, and cost constraints. ...

References

• Creswell, J. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.
• Creswell, J. (2003). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.
• Guba, E. and Lincoln, Y. (1989). Fourth Generation Evaluation. Newbury Park, California: Sage Publications.
• Patton, M.Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (3rd edition). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.
• Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language, Second Edition, Unabridged, W.A. Neilson, T.A. Knott, P.W. Carhart (eds.), G. & C. Merriam Company, Springfield, MA, 1950.

See also

• Power of a method
• Thought

In methodology, the power of a method is inversely proportional to the generality of the method, i. ... Personification of thought (Greek Εννοια) in Celsus Library in Ephesos, Turkey Thought or thinking is a mental process which allows beings to model the world, and so to deal with it effectively according to their goals, plans, ends and desires. ...

Notes

1. ^ Merriam–Webster

1888 advertisement for Websters Dictionary Websters Dictionary is the common title given to English language dictionaries in the United States, derived from American lexicographer Noah Webster. ...

References and further reading

• Usage note on the word Methodology