COP3 Lecture // Methodologies

Meaning of Methodology 

• A methodology is about clearly thinking where you're going to get your research from, how you're going to go about it and what angle you are going to look at it in.  You need to show that you are in control of your research project.
• A systematic way of sifting through information to get to the point.
• Underlying principles and oragnising system/ approach, what is the enquiry procedure?
• Each methodology has its own limitations and restrictions.

Theory on its own is not a methodology.

• Theories can help you decide upon the methods you use alternatively the material you may find may suggest appropriate theories.
• Theory is just one element of a methodology

Examples of Theories:

• Psychological - S.Freud; C.Jung etc
• Communication Theory - J.Fiske etc

Development work is similar to Action Research.

Processes of practice based research need some sort of theoretical lense or you may run the risk of falling into subjectivism.  

There is an endless list of possibilities.  IMPORTANT Choose the Theories and Methods most appropriate to your subject.


1 Methods - Make decisions about how to collect and order information

2 Theories - Choose a relevant theoretical stand point

3 Application - Apply these to your study

4 Explicitly outline this in the introduction

Your methodological approach will be an introduction to the study, part way through you may find that your methodological approach wasn't quite write, this is okay if you acknowledge this in your conclusion.  

As part of your investigation they are expecting 'Critical Analysis' 

Critic - a professional judge of art music or literature, someone who can have an informed opinion about it.  

Criterium - a standard by which something can be judged

Do not fall into or run the risk of being subjective eg. personal opinion. 

Your opinion needs to be arrived at after a formed body of research of evidence and logic.

This can be seen as a duck and/ or a rabbit by the philosopher above.  Things can be seen from different ways.

There is no such things as a neutral observation.  Celebrate your particular bias, make it clear in the methodology your approach/ your take on things, eg feminism, say in the beginning you're looking at it from a feminists point of view. 

If you don't agree with something, then argue against it. 

Different perspectives/writers/artists and makers each have a different outlook and have some level of bias 

Being critical is about interrogating the sources you are using

'Context is Everything'

Consider the influence of one or more of the following:

the time; place; society; politics; economics; technology; philosophy; scientific thought... how do they relate/ inform what you are looking at. 



Evidence - what is the evidence for what you are saying - you need to say what evidence you have found which supports this, it could be quotes or data or take another form.  You must back everything up with evidence.  

Could you find more evidence to support your conclusions?

Always try and find more than one source to back up what you say.

Evidence 

Reason 

Logic

Argument 

Triangulation - evidence that you have looked at more than one source and that you have the ability to "marry" your sources together