metodologische

Metodologische is an adjective used in German and Dutch contexts to denote something related to method or methodology. It is derived from the word for method and the study-oriented suffix that appears in many scientific terms, reflecting a focus on how research is carried out rather than on its substantive findings. In German, metodologische appears as an inflected form before feminine or neuter nouns, for example in phrases like die metodologische Herangehensweise (the methodological approach) or das metodologische Problem (the methodological problem).

In scholarly writing, the term serves to distinguish concerns about methods, design, and analysis from substantive results. Metodologische considerations address questions such as how data were collected, what instruments were used, how variables were defined and measured, and how inferences are justified. The word is commonly paired with nouns describing research strategies, such as approach, design, analysis, or framework, to signal that the discussion centers on the methodological side of a study.

The concept is closely related to, yet distinct from, broader notions of method and methodology. Methodology refers to the systematic study of methods themselves, while metodologische describes the practical or theoretical aspects of applying methods in specific research contexts. The term is widely used across disciplines, including the social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities.

See also: methodology, research design, data collection, epistemology, validation.