A methodology is a collection of methods having some application or philosophical basis. qualitative methods of evaluation express a methodological approach that is contrasted often and sometimes fought over with respect to quantitative evaluation methods There are very different methodological approaches to learning for example and a lot of methods for learning under each learning methodology. there is along history of fights in Information Systems over what are the more appropriate methodologies. I think the best work on methodologies for learning in IS is C. W. Churchman's book on the "design of inquiry systems" where he classifies inquiry processes (or the design of information systems) according to the degree to which the user accepts a given philosophy of what is truth or evidence for a truth: Leibnitz, Locke, hegel, Kant, and Singer. Under each of these "methodologies" you have very different methods for designing and inquiry system using methods from various scientific areas like the physical sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, and engineering. Dealing with methogologies is a much more challanging problem than dealing with methods. It is like having to have a blueprint for building something using different tools and materials. Some of us find it easier to use the same tool for everything, my tool/method bias has always been Delphi! Some build models, do cost benefit studies, use surveys, do experiments, others do interviews, etc. the field you came from often indoctrinates you in the current acceptable set (methodology) of methods and does not always explore outside the boundary of the current paradigm. There is a picture on my website of a painting from 1572 that expresses this paradox of interdisciplinary research and studies. The Vienna fine art museum gave me permission to use it in a paper and on my website. If you click on it you can get a large view of the painting. -- Distinguished Professor Emeritus Information Systems, NJIT homepage: http://is.njit.edu/turoff