metodstudier

Metodstudier is a term used in Swedish-language contexts to denote the study of research methods. It focuses on how methods are chosen, applied, and interpreted, and on the implications of methodological choices for knowledge generation and the credibility of findings across disciplines.

The field is interdisciplinary, spanning the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. It covers both qualitative and quantitative approaches, research design, data collection and analysis, sampling, measurement, ethics, quality assurance, and issues of transparency, replication, and validity.

Metodstudier often includes elements of the philosophy of science and epistemology, examining the assumptions underlying methods, the limits of inference, and the contexts in which certain methods are more or less appropriate. In some settings the term also encompasses meta-methodology, or the study of methods for evaluating other methods.

In higher education, metodstudier serves as a foundation for research training, helping students and researchers select suitable designs, justify methodological choices, and critically assess results. It is applied in program evaluation, policy research, and evidence synthesis, among other areas.

The field is characterized by ongoing debates about the relative merits of qualitative versus quantitative approaches, the role of theory in methods, and the balance between methodological rigor and practical relevance. Critics caution against overemphasis on technique at the expense of subject matter understanding.