Méthodes

Méthodes (plural of méthode) in French refers to systematic ways of achieving a goal, solving a problem, or conducting inquiry. A method comprises principles, steps, and techniques chosen to address a task; in practice, it is the plan guiding how to collect data, analyze, and interpret results.

Etymology: from Latin methodus, from Greek methodos. In many disciplines, the terms method, methodology, and method differ: a method is a particular procedure; methodology is the study and justification of those procedures.

Across fields, there are experimental methods (controlled observation), observational/qualitative methods, statistical/quantitative methods, computational methods, and interpretive methods in the humanities. Teaching methods and organizational methods provide structured approaches to instruction and operation.

Good methods are transparent, well-documented, reproducible where possible, and appropriate to the question. They are subject to critique and refinement; biases and assumptions should be acknowledged.

In French-speaking scholarship and professional life, methods underpin research design, problem solving, and quality assurance, with ongoing discussion about the most suitable methods for a given aim.