Appendix 1
METHODOLOGY
Introduction
Methodology refers to the underlying principle behind a research work. It is related but different from method, which, strictly speaking, refers to the actual tools used in research. Methodology is about the process and reasoning behind the use of the tools. It is an important part of the research process, because it forms the bridge between theory and fieldwork. In this chapter, I describe my methodology. I begin by discussing the philosophical issues I had to consider. Then I describe the decision I made about the process to follow and what specific tools to use. I also describe some of the ethical considerations that I had to take.
The Philosophical Considerations
Every researcher has to decide what approach to take in their research depending on their position on important philosophical questions. For a social researcher, one of these questions is the nature of social reality, often referred to as ontology. In effect, a social researcher has to make an assumption that underlies their research on the nature of reality. A well-established ontological position is known as realism. This is the view that things exist in the world independent of the human mind. The extreme variant of this is often termed “naïve realism” and holds that there is “direct relationship between the external world and human perception” so that reality can be perceived directly. This is usually the assumption that underlies scientific research.
However, many