Methodological Violence

The enforcement of a single “correct” method across all fields of inquiry, regardless of whether it fits the object of study. Methodological violence occurs when, for example, randomized controlled trials are demanded in fields where they are impossible (e.g., history, ecology at large scales) or when qualitative methods are dismissed as “soft.” It silences entire disciplines and research programs, forcing researchers to either mimic inappropriate methods or be labeled unscientific. The violence is in the rigid standardization that kills epistemic diversity.

Example: “His historical research was rejected because it used archival analysis instead of double‑blind experiments—methodological violence, demanding a method that makes no sense for the question.”

Methodological Violence by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal April 15, 2026