Method and methodology are related, but they usually describe different levels of detail. One names a particular way of doing something; the other describes a broader system of methods and the principles guiding them.
A method is a specific procedure or technique. It is useful in everyday situations as well as research. You might choose a method for learning vocabulary, cooking rice, or collecting information.
- Her method for remembering new words is to use them in short stories.
- The researchers used interviews as their main method of collecting data.
A methodology is a system of methods and the ideas or principles behind their use, especially in research. It can explain how a study is organised, why particular techniques were chosen, and how those choices help answer the research question.
- The report explains the study’s methodology, including why interviews were chosen instead of questionnaires.
For example, interviewing participants is a method. A discussion of who will be interviewed, how their answers will be analysed, and why this approach suits the study can form part of its methodology.
The boundary is not absolute: methodology is also used for a set of procedures, particularly in professional writing. However, it is not automatically a more formal or impressive replacement for method. If you mean one straightforward technique, method is usually the clearer choice.