When to Use Methodology vs Methods

In scientific and medical writing, some authors will adopt language that is inaccurate simply because they often see certain terms or phrases in the literature. But the literature is plagued with poor writing, such as misusing the terms utilize, symptoms, and comprise.

Another misused word that I commonly see is the term methodology. Many authors think that this term is a synonym for methods. But these words have distinct meanings.

Methods refers to the specific tools and procedures that you use to collect and analyze data. For example, experiments, surveys, and statistical tests are methods.

Methodology refers to the analysis of the principles or procedures in a particular field. For example, the rationale for or general strategy of your approach is considered methodology.

The term methodology contains the root -ology, which means a branch of knowledge. The root refers to the study of, science of, or theory of. This means that methodology refers to the study, science, or theory of methods. In other words, methodology refers to the analysis of methods rather than a description of methods.

Let’s look at a few examples.      

Example 1

Incorrect: Our methodology included Western blotting and immunostaining.

Correct: Our methods included Western blotting and immunostaining.

Example 2

Incorrect: Our method involved assessing the accuracy of the scale compared to standard methods.

Correct: Our methodology involved assessing the accuracy of the scale compared to standard methods.

Which term should you use?

When describing your overarching strategy or the approach you will use to answer the research question, use methodology. When describing the collection of steps or techniques you will use to answer the research question, use methods.