Philosophical inquiry

Understanding Ontology, Epistemology, and Methodology 

Have you ever wondered how people figure out what’s true, what exists, or how to study something properly? In research, philosophy, and everyday thinking, three big ideas help us answer those questions: ontology, epistemology, and methodology. They sound fancy, but each is easy to grasp with clear examples. This article will explain them in plain language and show how they connect.

1. Ontology — What exists?

- What it means: Ontology is about what’s real. It asks questions like “What kinds of things are there?” and “Do certain things exist independently of our thoughts?”

- Everyday example: Think about “teams” at school. Is a team just the people on the roster (something real and separate), or is it something created by agreement and teamwork (something that exists because people act together)? Ontology would examine whether the team is an independent thing or a social idea people create.

- Simple contrast:

  - Realism: Things like social classes or school rules are real and affect people whether or not everyone notices them.

  - Constructivism: These things are created through people’s interactions and shared ideas — they depend on human beliefs and actions.

2. Epistemology — How do we know things?

- What it means: Epistemology is the study of knowledge. It asks, “How do we know what we know?” and “What counts as good evidence?”

- Everyday example: Suppose someone says homework improves grades. How would you know if that’s true? You could look at test scores (numbers), ask students how homework helps them (opinions), or combine both. Epistemology helps you decide which types of evidence count and why.

- Simple contrast:

  - Positivism: Trusts measurable, objective data — numbers, experiments, and tests.

  - Interpretivism: Values personal experiences and meanings — stories, interviews, and observations.

3. Methodology — The plan for finding out

- What it means: Methodology is the overall approach you use to investigate something. It includes the tools and steps you choose — surveys, interviews, experiments, observations — and explains why those choices make sense given your ontology and epistemology.

- Everyday example: If you want to study whether group study helps students learn, your methodology might include a survey (to collect numbers on grades), classroom observations (to see how students work together), and interviews (to learn students’ thoughts). The methodology is the plan that puts those methods together.

- Simple types:

  - Quantitative methods: Use numbers and statistics (surveys, tests).

  - Qualitative methods: Use words and meanings (interviews, observations).

  - Mixed methods: Combine both to get a fuller picture.

How they connect — like a chain:

- Ontology (what exists) influences epistemology (how we can know it), and both influence methodology (how we study it).

- Example: If you believe social groups are real (ontology = realism), you might look for measurable effects (epistemology = positivist), and use experiments or surveys (methodology = quantitative). If you think social groups are created by interactions (ontology = constructivist), you might focus on people’s meanings (epistemology = interpretivist) and use interviews or observations (methodology = qualitative).

Quick summary (one-line definitions):

- Ontology: What is real? (What exists?)

- Epistemology: How do we know? (What counts as knowledge?)

- Methodology: How do we study it? (Which methods and why?)

Why this matters:

Understanding these ideas helps you think clearly about school projects, media claims, and everyday arguments. When you know what someone believes is real, how they decide what’s true, and how they investigate it, you can better evaluate their conclusions — and design stronger research of your own.

Questions to try:

- If you think personality tests don’t show “real” traits, what ontology are you adopting?

- If you trust only experiments for proof, what epistemology is that?

- For a class project on bullying, what methods would you choose if you want numbers? What if you want personal stories?

That’s it — three ideas that help shape how we understand the world and study it. Keep them in mind next time you read an article, start a project, or hear a claim that sounds too good (or too strange) to be true.

Quiz — Understanding Ontology, Epistemology, and Methodology

1. Multiple choice: What question does ontology primarily ask?

A) How do we measure things?  

B) What exists?  

C) How do people feel?  

D) Which method is best?

2. Multiple choice: Which position believes social things exist independently and affect people whether noticed or not?

A) Constructivism  

B) Interpretivism  

C) Realism  

D) Positivism

3. Multiple choice: Epistemology is best described as the study of:

A) Research tools and steps  

B) What kinds of things exist  

C) How we know things and what counts as evidence  

D) Classroom rules

4. Short answer: Give one everyday example (from the article) that illustrates an epistemological question.

5. Multiple choice: Which epistemological stance trusts measurable, objective data like numbers and experiments?

A) Interpretivism  

B) Constructivism  

C) Positivism  

D) Realism

6. Multiple choice: Which method would most likely be used by someone with a positivist epistemology?

A) Interviews and observations  

B) Surveys and experiments  

C) Ethnographic field notes  

D) Open-ended storytelling

7. Short answer: Define methodology in one sentence (use the article’s explanation).

8. Multiple choice: Which of the following is an example of a mixed-methods approach?

A) Only running a randomized experiment  

B) Only interviewing students about their feelings  

C) Combining surveys for grades and interviews about study habits  

D) Only using school records

9. Short answer: If a researcher believes teams are created through people’s interactions and shared ideas (not independent things), which ontology are they using?

10. Short answer: For a class project on bullying, name one quantitative method and one qualitative method you could use, according to the article.

Answer Key

1. B

2. C

3. C

4. Example answer: “Checking test scores to see if homework improves grades” (or “asking students how homework helps them”).  

5. C

6. B

7. Example answer: “Methodology is the overall plan or approach for investigating something, including the tools and steps used and why they fit the ontology and epistemology.”  

8. C

9. Constructivism (or social constructivism)  

10. Quantitative: survey, tests, or statistics; Qualitative: interviews or observations.