Friday 18 January 2008

Difference between 'techniques', 'methods' and 'methodology'

The OU PhD skills web site points to a comprehensive list, which for skill A4: asks Can you articulate the difference between 'techniques', 'methods' and 'methodology'? so I'm revising what I had learnt in B852: management research.

Techniques

  • Reading documents, searching for and retrieving them, filing them, taking notes from them.
  • Contacting people, recording contacts

Perhaps this is the how of the research

Methods

Procedures for collecting and analysing data – like what you are going to do to get the data

Methodology

Strategy, and design behind choice of methods to reach outcome – like why are you doing it this way


Crotty, M. (1998) 'Introduction: the research process'. The foundations of social research: meaning and perspective in the research process, Sage, London. 816

See Crotty (1998) in the ‘Introduction’ to his book, The Foundations of Social Research: Meaning and Perspective in the Research Process

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