Comments on: Method versus Methodology

By: Hung Nguyen

Hung Nguyen — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:32:57 +0000

Dear Peter,

Thanks for confirming that. There are two types of people who use the word ‘methodology’ instead of ‘method’: those who are ignorant and those who would like to use it just for its sound – a kind of big word.

By: samara

samara — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:59:10 +0000

Re: “method” and “methodology”: I think you need to understand how these are used within scientific fields. My understanding is that “methodology” indicates the logical underpinnings or philosophical approach to the work (e.g., research). “Method” is used to designate the specific techniques used in the work. In a journal, I suppose either of these words could be used, depending on what the author is describing. True – some people do misuse the words, but others sometimes don’t understand when they are being used appropriately.

By: Didja Readette

Didja Readette — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:09:06 +0000

Check your understanding, “The United States and foreign governments maintain strict rules about the methodology for goods exchanged across their borders. ”

[ ] Method
[ ] Methodology

Please makr the correct choice in under 5 minutes. A time-sensitive nail is placed under your office chair. Cubicle alarms will engage in 300 seconds.

Thank you for your participation.

By: cosmo

cosmo — Thu, 27 May 2010 04:49:16 +0000

words and meanings mutate over time. to illustrate this i visited a german dance parlor a while back. the band and most folks attending were 3rd 4th or 5th generation germans. i myself would describe myself half german
so anyways when the band started i was surprised to hear them sing in their own language. i could recognize some tunes only by their melody. occassionally a word sounded german but put in context it made only sense to those in the band, or to those frequently attending.
to come back to methodology. this would be worth studying. to develop a methodology which would allow to forecast and prepare for shifts in language. you could say that derrida had such a methodology but nobody could understand him. so there is no practical use for it, and that is how methods became methodology. its just more practical

By: Derek

Derek — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:55:54 +0000

Arise old thread…!

I would like to add the stupid use of the term ‘fully’. I.e. “are you fully qualified?” and “the car is fully airconditioned”

I contend that qualified is as it says, and nything short of that should be referred to as part-qualified. (and partly- airconditioned)

My (2c)

By: Rafe Champion

Rafe Champion — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 06:09:09 +0000

A nice point.
It would be good to keep alive the distinction between disinterested and uninterested as well. It seems that in journalism the decline in comprehension of the term “disinterested” has marched in parallel with the rise of partisan reporting.
The good news on George Orwell’s essays is that all four volumes of the collected essays are on line at Questia.
http://www.questia.com/Index.jsp
Also Hayek on Hayek (which is never on the shelf in the library at Sydney Uni).
Another good read every few years (in additon to Orwell on the English language) is the appendix to C Wright Mills “The Sociological Imagination” on Intellectual Craftsmanship.
http://www.amazon.com/review/R17CAPGSQLDA68/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

By: Method or Methodology? « Soft Thoughts

Method or Methodology? « Soft Thoughts — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 20:59:10 +0000

[...] 18, 2008 by softthoughts In the following post a reminder is made of the correct use of the word method and methodology. In a lot of software [...]

By: Chihmao Hsieh

Chihmao Hsieh — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 22:52:20 +0000

Speaking of cringing from English: What used to make me cringe before — poor spelling — now no longer pains me so. Observe:

“I cdnuolt bleveiee taht I cloud aulacity uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervy lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh, and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!”

By: Peter Klein

Peter Klein — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 16:27:36 +0000

Chihmao, your story reminds me of Orwell’s remark about always following the rules of grammar, except when you shouldn’t.

Ah, thanks to Google, here’s the whole bit, from Politics and the English Language (see especially last bullet):

* Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

* Never us a long word where a short one will do.

* If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

* Never use the passive where you can use the active.

* Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

* Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

By: JiE

JiE — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:47:22 +0000

Thanks for reminding!