Method vs Methodology
What’s the difference between method and methodology? Aren’t they the same thing?
Are method and methodology the same thing? Can I use them interchangeably?!
No and no.
Methodology is the big-picture strategy, and methods are the practical tools you use to get the job done.
Think of it like this - if your PhD was a house, the methodology is the architect’s blueprint, and the methods are the hammer, nails, and bricks you use to build it.
I’m going to break all of that down in this blogpost!
If we’ve not met before, I’m Dr Elizabeth Yardley and I help PhD students get out of their own way and finish their doctorates. Academic jargon and terminology can be really confusing, and there are a lot of terms like method methodology, reflective / reflexive – that sound similar but are actually quite different things.
Plus - you don’t want to look stupid right?! It feels weird to be asking, “What’s the difference between those two? Are they the same thing?”, because you think you should just know by now. It’s embarrassing, so you don’t.
It’s not just you.
Actually, your supervisor might not really know the difference either! That’s not to insult them, it’s just to highlight that in academia, we often don’t take the time to ensure people understand the basics before we get onto the difficult stuff. We just go straight for the complexity assume everyone knows the stuff that comes before. They don’t!
So, method / methodology, let’s get into it.
Why does this matter?
You might be thinking, "Does it really matter if I mix up method and methodology?"
Well, yeah.
Using the right term in the right place shows you know your stuff. Plus, it helps your thesis sound polished and professional. And, if you're doing a viva or a thesis defense (and you will get there), your examiners will expect you to explain what methodology you used and why - not just list your methods.
So, let’s break it all down step-by-step.
Methodology - what is it?
Think of methodology as the strategy and philosophy behind your research. It’s the higher-level thinking that guides your approach. Methodology answers the why and the how behind what you're doing. It’s not just "I’m doing 15 semi structured interviews" - it’s why you’re doing interviews and how this fits into your overall research design.
It’s a bit like this…
Imagine you’re building a piece of self assembly furniture (yes, that dreaded flat pack). The methodology is your approach to the project - are you someone who reads the manual from start to finish? That’s me - a structured, step-by-step planner.
Or do you freestyle it and figure it out as you go? That’s my husband - a more exploratory approach!
Your methodology reflects your perspective, your starting point, your values and the principles that shape your decisions.
In research terms, your methodology explains:
Your chosen research paradigm (e.g., interpretivism, positivism, etc.) If the word paradigm gives you the ick, check out these blogposts that explain all of the jargon around paradigms!
Whether you’re taking a qualitative or quantitative approach (or a mix of both).
Why you’ve chosen these approaches and why they’re appropriate for your research questions.
Method - what’s that?
If methodology is your approach, a method is the specific tool you use to gather data.
If methodology is the game plan for putting together flat pack furniture, methods are the screwdrivers, Allen keys, and tiny wooden dowels - you know, the ones that always go missing at a critical moment, or you end up with a few spare ones. What do you do with them? In our house, they get tucked away in drawers and boxes and we often discover them in a fun game of “what does this belong to?”
Anyway, as I was saying - methodology is your approach, methods are the specific tools you use within that approach.
Methods are the practical, "on-the-ground" techniques you use to collect information. Like interviews, focus groups, surveys, documentary analysis etc.
“Think of it like this - if your PhD was a house, the methodology is the architect’s blueprint, and the methods are the hammer, nails, and bricks you use to build it.”
Method vs methodology - an example
Let’s break it down with an example. Say you’re doing a PhD on how working parents balance home life and academic study.
Your methodology might be qualitative, underpinned by interpretivism (because you want to understand people’s lived experiences and subjective realities).
Your methods could be semi-structured interviews (because you want rich, detailed stories but also enough structure to compare themes across different interviews).
Another example - say you’re doing a PhD on whether regular exercise improves student productivity.
Your methodology is quantitative, underpinned by positivism (because you believe there’s an objective truth you can measure - exercise either improves productivity or it doesn’t).
Your methods could include a controlled experiment where participants log their exercise routines and complete timed productivity tasks, with you measuring their output (number of words written, tasks completed, etc.) and comparing it across groups.
Here, the methodology is about taking a structured, measurable approach to test a hypothesis, while the methods are the specific data collection and measurement tools you’re using to gather objective evidence.
See how the methodology is the big-picture approach and the methods are the tools you use to gather data?
Common misconceptions
Now that you’re feeling a bit clearer, let’s bust a few myths that trip up loads of PhD students when it comes to method vs methodology.
"Methods and methodology are interchangeable." Nope - your methods are part of your methodology, but they’re not the same thing.
"A methodology is just a list of methods." Not quite! Your methodology chapter isn’t just a shopping list of your research tools. It needs to explain your philosophical approach (e.g., why you’re taking a qualitative, exploratory approach instead of a quantitative, structured one).
"I don’t need to explain my methods, everyone knows what interviews are." Actually, you do. Your reader needs to know exactly how you designed your interviews, how many you conducted, and how you handled ethical considerations like confidentiality.
What next?
So many PhD students don’t tackle the “why” in their methodology chapter, which is super super important, I have a separate blogpost all about that so if you want to learn exactly how to ensure you’re covering the WHY, go check that out - here is the link!