Methodology
What is methodology? How should it be defined?
In the context of discussion concerning scientific change, the terms method and methodology have been traditionally used as synonyms. The key definitional task here is to decide how methodology is to be defined. In particular, should it be used as a synonym for method, or is it something very different from method?
In the scientonomic context, this term was first used by Hakob Barseghyan in 2015. The term is currently accepted by Scientonomy community.
In Scientonomy, the accepted definition of the term is:
- A normative discipline that formulates the rules which ought to be employed in theory assessment.
Contents
Scientonomic History
Acceptance Record of the Term
| Community | Accepted From | Acceptance Indicators | Still Accepted | Accepted Until | Rejection Indicators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientonomy | 1 January 2016 | That is when the first definition of the term, Methodology (Barseghyan-2015) became accepted, which is a good indication that the question itself became accepted. | Yes |
All Definitions
| Theory | Formulation | Formulated In |
|---|---|---|
| Methodology (Barseghyan-2015) | A set of explicitly formulated rules of theory assessment. | 2015 |
| Methodology (Sebastien-2016) | A normative theory that prescribes the rules which ought to be employed in theory assessment. | 2016 |
| Methodology (Barseghyan-2018) | A normative discipline that formulates the rules which ought to be employed in theory assessment. | 2018 |
Accepted Definitions
| Community | Theory | Formulation | Accepted From | Accepted Until |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientonomy | Methodology (Barseghyan-2015) | A set of explicitly formulated rules of theory assessment. | 1 January 2016 | 15 February 2017 |
| Scientonomy | Methodology (Sebastien-2016) | A normative theory that prescribes the rules which ought to be employed in theory assessment. | 15 February 2017 | 1 September 2019 |
| Scientonomy | Methodology (Barseghyan-2018) | A normative discipline that formulates the rules which ought to be employed in theory assessment. | 1 September 2019 |
Suggested Modifications
| Modification | Community | Date Suggested | Summary | Date Assessed | Verdict | Verdict Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sciento-2016-0002 | Scientonomy | 3 September 2016 | Accept a new taxonomy for theory, normative theory, descriptive theory to reintroduce normative propositions (such as those of ethics or methodology) to the scientific mosaic. | 23 January 2017 | Not Accepted | Since this modification consisted of two interrelated but essentially distinct suggestions - one definitional and one ontological - it was decided by the community to divide it into two modifications so that the gist of the proposed suggestions is properly articulated. In particular, it was agreed that there are two modifications in "the heart of this single modification - one ontological, the other definitional".c1 It was also agreed that the current formulation "is exclusively definitional, and does not give the community an opportunity to appreciate (and, well, accept) the ontological changes that come along with it".c2 Consequently, it was decided to divide this modification into two modifications - one definitional and one ontological.c3 |
| Sciento-2017-0001 | Scientonomy | 23 January 2017 | Accept new definitions for theory, normative theory, and descriptive theory. Also, modify the definition of methodology to reflect these changes. | 15 February 2017 | Accepted | The community agreed that this is "an important addition to theoretical scientonomy".c1 It was agreed that since "the paradox of normative propositions has been solved, a revised set of definitions was needed".c2 It was emphasized that if we're going to have any sort of conversation on the status of normative propositions in the mosaic, "then we need to start from a definition".c3 |
| Sciento-2018-0005 | Scientonomy | 8 October 2018 | Accept the new definitions of method as a set of criteria for theory evaluation and methodology as a normative discipline that formulates the rules which ought to be employed in theory assessment. | 1 September 2019 | Accepted | The consensus concerning this modification emerged primarily off-line, following a series of discussions. It was noted that the new definition "does clarify the scientific understanding of methods as normative theories that can be both accepted and employed".c1 It was also highlighted that the consensus on this modification "has been manifested on several occasions, including the first scientonomy conference in May 2019 in Toronto, where several of the speakers treated the suggested definition of method as accepted".c2 Importantly, it was also agreed that the acceptance of "this definition will require a whole series of changes to other theories already accepted by the scientonomic community to accord with the new definitions, for example, the Methodology can shape Method theorem."c3 This raises an important workflow-related question: does this mean that the encyclopedia editors have the right to make the respective changes?c4 |
Current Definition
In Scientonomy, the accepted definition of the term is Methodology (Barseghyan-2018).
Methodology (Barseghyan-2018) states: "A normative discipline that formulates the rules which ought to be employed in theory assessment."
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This definition of the term confines it to the respective normative field of inquiry. Specific methodological theories are referred to as methods.
Ontology
Existence
In Scientonomy, it is currently accepted that "There is such a thing as a methodology."
Subtypes
In Scientonomy, there are currently no accepted subtypes of Methodology.
Supertypes
In Scientonomy, there are currently no accepted supertypes of Methodology.
Associations
In Scientonomy, there are currently no accepted associations of Methodology.
Disjointness
In Scientonomy, no classes are currently accepted as disjoint with Methodology.
If a question concerning the ontology of a methodology is missing, please add it here.
Dynamics
If a question concerning the dynamics of a methodology is missing, please add it here.
Related Topics
This term is also related to the following topic(s):
