The
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published
by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Saturday 8 June 2013
Methodology
Methodology
can properly refer to the theoretical analysis of the methods
appropriate to a field of study or to the body of methods and principles
particular to a branch of knowledge. In this sense, one may speak of objections to the methodology of a geographic survey (that is, objections dealing with the appropriateness of the methods used) or of the methodology of modern cognitive psychology (that is, the principles and practices that underlie research in the field). In recent years, however, methodology has been increasingly used as a pretentious substitute for method in scientific and technical contexts, as in The oil company has not yet decided on a methodology for restoring the beaches. People may have taken to this practice by influence of the adjective methodological to mean "pertaining to methods." Methodological may have acquired this meaning because people had already been using the more ordinary adjective methodical to mean "orderly, systematic." But the misuse of methodology obscures an important conceptual distinction between the tools of scientific investigation (properly methods) and the principles that determine how such tools are deployed and interpreted.
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In 90% of the cases I had to deal with (100% when dealing with somebody with no scientific background, like architects and engineers) I noticed the term "methodology" was misused. Also at academic and at international projects such as the Framework Contracts.
ReplyDeleteSuch a mistake is not merely linguistic, but it has harmful consequences: there is no justification in the substitution of the search process of the most appropriate method in tackling a problem with the blind usage of pre-packed and ready-to-go methods.
PLEASE, AVOID SUCH A CONFUSION!
My email to EUROPEAID-info (European Commission)
ReplyDeleteDear Sir / Madam,
With interest I've being browsing through the opportunities the EC offers with the Framework Contracts, and have to say in not rare cases I had difficulties in correctly understanding them. My major doubt is around the usage of the word "Methodology", like for instance in EuropeAid/127054/C/SER/multi, where one of the key goals is to "Propose a Methodology".
Giving the fact a methodology is "the theoretical analysis of the methods appropriate to a field of study, or the theoretical analysis of the body of methods and principles particular to a branch of knowledge" (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company), I wonder if writing "methodology" you actually mean "method" or "body of methods", as to say, not the epistemological process (it has to do with philosophy of science) it actually means, but the "procedure", the set of tools, the instruments that actually are the outcome of a methodology.
I am asking this because as a social scientist and methodologist I am positive there is actually no way (in epistemological terms) to (I read from EuropeAid/127054/C/SER/multi):
"propose an explicit quantitative and qualitative data gathering and treatment methodology", while it is true the contrary, the opposite process, as to say that a methodological analysis is essential for drafting "an explicit quantitative and qualitative data gathering and treatment method (or procedure, or body of methods)"
Same problem with "Methodology proposed should be appropriate to measure concrete effects, simple and objectively interpretable, cover as much as possible the whole set of FPs’ effects and comparable with the one used for other countries, institutions, etc.". In fact, a methodology doesn't measure. A mathematical model does, a method, a technical tool like a software, but NOT a methodology, which, as said, is the epistemologically grounded analysis and evaluation of a number of available congruous methods for the selection of the most suited assessment method and strategy, according to the given program, plan or project, as well as available resources.
To make things simple, a methodology is a sort of selection process, and not an instrument. Any other usage of that word, like for instance as synonym of "method" or "set of methods", is wrong, and not only leads to misinterpretation, but mainly has harmful consequences: there is no justification in the substitution of the scientific search process of the most appropriate method in tackling a problem with the blind usage of pre-packed and ready-to-go methods.
I would be pleased if you could clarify this matter to me. And possibly take action for rectifying documents that contain the misused term "methodology".
Kind regards
PhD Fabrizio Giulietti
Strategy and Evaluation consultant for Sustainable Integrated Development
http://fabriziogiulietti.blogspot.it/
“Only thoughts reached by walking have value”
F. Nietzsche, Die Götzen-Dämmerung - Twilight of the Idols (1888)
This is great! I agree wholeheartedly. Have they replied?
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