The Inquiry Methodology Program at Indiana University is dedicated to the advancement of social and behavioral research by critically evaluating, improving, and developing methodological theory and methods so that phenomena of interest can be more soundly investigated and better understood.

The Inquiry Methodology faculty consists of quantitative and qualitative methodologists, making the Indiana University program unique with regard to the types of methodological approaches addressed in the program and the educational opportunities it provides students. Students can choose to focus on a quantitative, qualitative, or an integrated program of study. The program is designed to be flexible enough to handle a wide variety of student interests (e.g., statistical modeling, psychometrics, methodological theory, evaluation, ethnography, philosophy of social science, hermeneutic-reconstructive analysis, discourse and narrative analysis, critical ethnography, and feminist research), but rigorous so as to ensure that its graduates can meaningfully contribute to the study of social and  behavioral research.

The Inquiry Methodology Program seeks to fill the important and sometimes large gap between theoreticians and substantive researchers. The theoretical and substantive aspects of inquiry are purposefully put into dialogue so that the complex ways in which theory and practice interact are not taken for granted, but are themselves examined. For example, without theories to guide research, an area of inquiry may wander and lose sight of its goals. This mutual accountability is one of the many ways the bridge between theory and practice is being explored and developed in the Inquiry Methodology Program at Indiana University. The faculty and students in the Inquiry Methodology Program are dedicated to ensuring that meaningful research approaches are used to answer the complex questions that arise in social and behavioral research.

• Doctoral Program -this study area provides students with the skills necessary for conducting rigorous educational research and program evaluation. There is particular emphasis on writing proposals, conducting research, and evaluating research studies. Students majoring in this area study research design, qualitative inquiry methodology, statistics, educational and psychological measurement, school assessment, program evaluation, and the use of computers in data analysis and data base management.
• Doctoral Minor - a minor in Educational Inquiry Methodology may be taken by doctoral students majoring in other disciplines. Minor students must take 12 credit hours of research course work and take a qualifying examination.
• Master's in Learning and Developmental Sciences, Inquiry Specialization/Track - while there is currently not a M.S. in Inquiry Methodology, there is a M.S. in Learning and Developmental Sciences with a specialization in Inquiry.
• Courses - examples of courses we have offered, do offer, or plan to offer (some in connection with other departments).
• Information for Prospective Students - Some brief information for students interested in the Inquiry Methodology program area.