WHAT IS METHOD AND WHAT IS METHODOLOGY

In their eagerness to be original, creative, and even genius, people often create things that are nothing more than false ideas, develop false concepts, and sometimes invent what they shouldn't or can't, or, at best, what shouldn't be invented.

Methodologies are an example of this. 

Every time I hear someone saying: "we created a methodology for project management" or "we created a methodology for systems development", I feel an immediate need to understand the essence of this methodology, to seek its epistemological basis, its foundations, explanations, in short, what distinguishes it from mere attempts at standardization.

After all, methodology needs to be much more than just a flowchart designed in a macro way. These invented "methodologies" lack something fundamental: the epistemology that served as the basis for their creation.

But what is epistemology?

Epistemology is the theory of knowledge, it studies the origin, structure, methods and validity of knowledge. It also relates to metaphysics, logic, and the philosophy of science. Its role is to understand the possibilities and limits of human knowledge. When someone presents something like a "methodology", it is essential that it has a solid basis, a well-structured epistemological content.

Often, what they call methodology is nothing more than an attempt to create a method, without a methodology, without a real commitment to the theoretical foundation.

A simple PowerPoint with 10 or 15 slides, with some graphs and diagrams, does not create a methodology. In fact, what is created is more of a graphic script or, at most, a framework without depth.

Method, in turn, is a much more robust concept, derived from the Latin “methodus”, which means "path" or "way to accomplish something". Method is the process, the set of planned activities that aim to produce a product, achieve a specific end or achieve knowledge.

For something to be recognized as a true methodology, it must have a philosophical basis, epistemological content, and adequate tools for its application.

An example of this is the DOMP™ Methodology, which I created more than 30 years ago, and which continues to be constantly developed and improved. It has, in addition to a solid theoretical basis, (the book Manual for Business Process Management, Atlas 2015), a detailed set of tools, with thoroughly explained forms, all documented in a manual of more than two hundred pages, the DOMP_Reference_Guide_Manual. This manual, which complements the aabove cited book, describes in detail the fields of each form, how to use them, what their purpose is, and how each part relates to the whole.

The DOMP™ Methodology is composed of four fundamental dimensions: Strategic Planning, Project Management, Business Process Management, and Innovation – Design Thinking. Each dimension has a set of specific forms for data collection, analysis, and development of the actions necessary for the purpose of the dimension. Unfortunately, one of the most common failures when creating something that does not have a solid epistemological basis is that organizations end up not being able to enjoy the expected benefits of the project, compromising the investment made.

Finally, my advice is: when someone says that they have "invented a methodology", try to know it in depth, investigating three essential points:

a) the philosophical basis.

b) the epistemological basis and, mainly,

c) the tools created so that the methodology can be used effectively.

In closing, I want to share an analogy that I often use. It is very didactic and can help clarify the difference between method and methodology, especially in academic or research contexts.

• Method is the path, refers to the concrete steps, techniques or procedures adopted to achieve a goal. It is the practice, the execution.

• Methodology is the road map: it is the theoretical reflection on methods. It is the structured set of principles that guide the choice and use of methods. In other words, it is broader and involves why you choose certain methods, not just how to apply them.

The method is like a trail that we walk to reach knowledge. The methodology is the map that helps us choose this trail, justifying why it is the most suitable for the terrain and the desired destination.

Summarizing

✅Method

• What it is: A path, a technique, or a procedure to achieve a goal.

• Example: The scientific method (observation, hypothesis, experiment, conclusion) or the deductive/inductive method.

• Usage: Refers to how something will be done.

• Practical example: If you are doing a survey and decide to apply a questionnaire with twenty people, this is part of your survey method.

✅Methodology

• What it is: The study or description of the methods. It is the theoretical part that grounds and justifies the choice of methods used.

• Usage: Refers to why a certain method(s) are chosen, based on theories, authors, approaches, etc.

• Practical example: In the introduction to the TCC, when explaining why you chose the qualitative method instead of the quantitative one — this is part of the methodology.

To close, I leave you with a phrase that inspires me a lot:

"Superstition sets the world on fire, philosophy extinguishes them." - Voltaire.