Methodology

If theory is the researcher’s eye, the legs should stand for her/his methodology: they offer concrete steps towards the research goal. The word method is a compound of the Greek words μετ᾽ (met) = besides, over, above + ὁδός (hodós) = threshold, road, path and means the path we take to reach our goal. If we want to get somewhere, we have to know first how we can get there. Each profession cherishes its methodology. In music research, several methods are in circulation (for instance, RuwetRuwet, Nicolas and EveristEverist, Mark 1987, or CrawfordCrawford, Tim and GibsonGibson, Lorna 2009). Ethnomusicologists and popular music studies expand the basic musicological tools by borrowing and adapting methods from different branches of knowledge. In music sociology, two prevail that come from general sociology. They are explained in detail in this chapter.