Questions
of Methodology
An Overview
In broad terms, there are four related types of question we can ask when thinking about any type of research. They are related in the sense that the answers we give to one type of question will necessarily condition the answers we give to the questions that, logically, follow. In this respect, the "four types of question" we need to ask are:
1. Ontological.
2. Epistemological.
3. Methodological.
4. Methods.
We can outline the above ideas in the following way:
1. Ontology
"Ontological questions" can be simply expressed in terms of the idea:
"What do we believe exists?"
Thus, this type of question relates to the nature of the beliefs we have that support our belief that something is true. As such, this is the most fundamental question we can ask since what we (as individuals, groups or a society) believe something is like will condition the evidence we will accept to prove its existence.
We can use the following examples to illustrate this idea.
General types of ontological belief.
Do I believe:
- The earth is flat or round?
- In the existence of God?
- Sheffield Wednesday are the greatest football team the world has ever seen?
Ontological beliefs relating to sociological research
Do I believe:
- It is possible to predict social behaviour in the same way it is possible to predict the behaviour of the natural (non-social) world?
- Society is a real, living, thing that has an objective existence?
- The study of social structures is less important than the study of individual social actors?
As sociologists, the answers we give to these (and many other) ontological research questions are important because they will shape the way we believe it is possible / desirable to study the social world.
This leads us to the second question:
"Epistemological questions" can be simply expressed in terms of the idea:
"What proof do we need in order to accept that something is true?".
This type of question follows ontological questions and, as such, is clearly conditioned by the answer we give to the latter.
In basic terms, if we have ideas about what we believe exists it follows that we will also develop ideas about the type of proof we will accept to confirm or refute these ideas. As you may imagine, in modern societies there are many types and levels of proof that people will accept about whether or not they believe something to be true.
This leads us to the third question:
3. Methodology.
"Methodological questions" can be simply expressed in terms of the idea:
"How do we believe it possible to produce plausible knowledge about the social world?".
This question of methodology relates to beliefs about what we have to do (the methods we can use and so forth) to demonstrate that the knowledge we produce (through systematic research, for example) is more plausible ("more likely to be true") than any other type of knowledge.
I have deliberately tried to avoid using the word true in this context since it is impossible to say with any certainty that anything is ever "true for all time" (we cannot, for example, know what might happen in the future to prove us wrong).
Rather, the term "plausible" suggests that some forms of proof may be more-acceptable to us than others (and this will, of course, depend on our answers to the previous types of question) and we generally assess plausibility in terms of the reliability and validity of the data we use as the basis of our proof.
This, therefore, leads to the fourth and final question:
4. Methods of Research
"Method questions" can be simply expressed in terms of the idea:
"How can we collect data that is both reliable and valid?"
As you will no-doubt be aware, there are a variety of methods available to a sociologist (ranging from questionnaires, through different types of interview, to observational methods, experiments and so forth).
If what I’ve noted above is valid, therefore, it follows that a sociologist will have preferred methods of research that, at least in part, reflect their beliefs about the nature of the social world (ontology), the level of proof required in their research (epistemology) and beliefs about what constitutes reliable and valid data (methodology).