Has the distinction between method and methodology disappeared? I tell my media students that: A research method is the tool or tools that we use to make sense of a text/audience/institution - broadly ethnography. or observation and interview eg. A research methodology is the rationale for the project design; a combination of the philosophical approach, the supporting theory and the research method. Is use different in different places, or has 'method' disappeared? If so what do we now call 'methodology'? Regards, Marj Associate Professor Marjorie Kibby Discipline Convenor: Film, Media and Cultural Studies School of Humanities and Social Science The University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia Marj.Kibby@newcastle.edu.au +61 2 49216604

Hi Marj, In my experience reading across a broad range of qualitative inquiry, the terms get conflated. But drawing the distinction as you do can actually be very useful in teaching research methods courses. I take a slightly different tack than you do, but I think more for the sake of getting more precision at the method end and more reflexivity at the methodology end. For example, I would say that ethnography is more a methodology (or even an epistemology) than a method. It is useful to conceptualize as a broad sensemaking tool, lens or approach. An ethnographic project would involve multiple methods of collection (such as participant observation, interviewing) and methods of analysis (such as content analysis, discourse analysis, narrative, metaphor, etc., etc.). It would also include methods and methodologies for interpretation, which can then loop back to the the epistemological levels (say for instance, critical, feminist, postmodern, structuralist, and so forth) Separating the concepts helps one see that there are always multiple methods operating at different levels of sensemaking, from the broad conceptual to the specific. FWIW, I don't think 'method' has disappeared ...and if it has for some reason, I'll be soon getting on a soapbox to bring it back, annette ***************************************************** Annette N. Markham, Ph.D. Senior Research Fellow, Internet Research Ethics Center for Information Policy Research University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee amarkham@gmail.com http://www.cipr.uwm.edu/ http://markham.internetinquiry.org/ Co-Editor, International Journal of Internet Research Ethics http://www.ijire.net On Mon, Feb 8, 2010 at 2:52 PM, Marj Kibby <Marj.Kibby@newcastle.edu.au>wrote:

Has the distinction between method and methodology disappeared?

I tell my media students that: A research method is the tool or tools that we use to make sense of a text/audience/institution - broadly ethnography. or observation and interview eg. A research methodology is the rationale for the project design; a combination of the philosophical approach, the supporting theory and the research method.

Is use different in different places, or has 'method' disappeared? If so what do we now call 'methodology'?

Regards, Marj

Associate Professor Marjorie Kibby Discipline Convenor: Film, Media and Cultural Studies School of Humanities and Social Science The University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW 2308 Australia Marj.Kibby@newcastle.edu.au +61 2 49216604

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I agree with Eileen and also wonder if you might want to triangulate your methods by adding one other data gathering method such as interviewing. I have used distance interviewing with Skype as my tool, and it has worked very well for gathering rich detail. In addition, the use of Skype allowed me to interview participants around the globe very cheaply. Of course, the usefulness of Skype VoIP depends on whether you include seniors from both groups. Best, Pam Pamela Estes Brewer Assistant Professor Department of English Appalachian State University phone 828-262-2351 fax 828-262-2133 email brewerpe@appstate.edu Eileen Lübcke wrote:

Dear Kamollimsakul

The critical point in your methodology is that 2 of three instruments are aiming at senior citizens with digital literacy. The online questionnaire is a self-selecting instrument which will create again a sample of Internet users.

In my opinion it would be much better if the sample from focus group as well as questionnaire would include both groups of senior citizens.

Best regards

Eileen

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- Von: air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] Im Auftrag von Sorachai Kamollimsakul Gesendet: Samstag, 6. Februar 2010 20:24 An: air-l@listserv.aoir.org Betreff: [Air-L] please comment research methodology

I try to write a research propal about thai senior citizens and the internet. This research aims to study about internet using behavior of Thai senior citizens, advantage, and disadvantage in internet use and supporting ways by theirs opinion.

I want to study only thai elderly who use the internet. recently statistic, has 77,869 older persons.

What do you think, if I use 3 method

- questionair sent to 400 senior citizens (or more) who pass training about internet use.

- online questionair

- focus group disscussion 4 groups in 4 parts of Thailands (1 group per 1 part)

I hope AOIR mailing list member express your comment about methodology.

Thank you.

Kamollimsakul S.

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Please see below for a roundtable in which I will participate tomorrow: Best, Elham Gheytanchi Santa Monica College Activism in the Electronic Age: The impact of technology on political protest Tuesday, February 9, 2010 @ 4:30 PM Location : Haldeman Center, Room 041 Sponsored by The Dartmouth Centers Forum Abstract: The Western world watched with great anticipation the recent 2009 elections in Iran, in which large numbers of Iranian citizens actively protested the fairness and outcome of the election. Not only did Iranian protesters fill the streets of Tehran and the campuses of universities, they also appeared to fill cyberspace with their Facebook postings, Twitter Tweets, and Blogs. Has technology always played a role in political protest – and if so, how? Or does new information technology and the Internet change the activity and impact of political protest in fundamental and new ways? We will explore these questions and more with an expert panel of guest speakers who will discuss their own work on technology and protest, and then engage with the Dartmouth community for a discussion of such questions. http://www.ists.dartmouth.edu/events/dcfactivismpanel.html