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The overwhelming feeling I was left with after the mix and match methods and methodology homework was that the humorous for fun analogy  I wrote comparing the Methodology of Phoenomoneolgy with the metaphor of measuring your shit with a stick broke the concept down in a way which was much easier to understand than that of the academic approach I took. 

I have a saying that goes “You can’t measure your shit with someone else’s stick.” Phenomenological Methodology is the study that digs deep into that others person relationship with the shit, and the stick they use to measure it with. It examines this personal understanding of where the shit came from, how big it is, and how easy it is to move around. It analyses how the shit, and stick effects how they think and feel and looks for reasons they might be motivated to continue to keep the shit. It also requires you to examine your own shit, in terms of size, weight, and what this shit might be indicating. It also cuts through the bullshit.

I may have been a bit tired when I wrote that but it really did help me to understand Phenomenology, and how this methodology will aid me in my own research. 

It was helpful to read other people’s definitions of different methods and methodologies, although I still feel I need to break apart my own understanding of these in response to how I will utilise them for my own research. 

I found some of the feedback from my peers to be insightful and helpful, while other’s just ticked several boxes without explaining the significance of these approaches. I agreed with certain assertions that I would have to develop my storytelling to aid narrative, and case studies to delve deeper into Romani Studies. 

Some of the Methods I will look at employing are Tacit knowledge, that will be of importance when inserting my own Romani voice into my research, ethnographic research methods, storytelling, case studies, contextual review, 3D visualisation, and iterative research. 

Some of the methodologies I believe will be of benefit are Practice-led research, Qualitative research, ethnographic research, Feminist theory, phenomenological theory, narratology, and perhaps even co-design and participatory design. 

While having other people assess my current research status hasn’t contributed to any change in direction, learning more about critical research methods have aided me in understanding the importance of crafting the right approach to my research so that it will be of use for academia and knowledge production of Romani identity, and issues.