Environmental Research Methodology

Research methodology is a set of principles, methods and tools for producing reliable scientific knowledge. In the environmental sciences, the methodological approach takes on particular importance due to the complexity of the phenomena studied and the multiple interactions between ecological systems and human societies. This handbook aims to provide the foundations for applied scientific research into environmental issues. Its aim is to enable readers to acquire the skills needed to design, conduct and write a rigorous scientific research project. The manual begins by addressing the conceptual foundations of science and scientific knowledge, highlighting the different paradigms that structure environmental research. It then examines the epistemological foundations of research, in particular the positivist, constructivist, systems and socio-ecological approaches that enable us to analyze the complex interactions between human societies and ecosystems.