Environmental studies is inherently interdisciplinary therefore my methodology draws from several disciplines.
Philosophy
In the philosophy realm I performed literature reviews. The key philosophical concept I am working with is objectivity. While the term objectivity is a placeholder and represents much more than its philosophical definition, I wanted to have an understanding of what the term means to philosophers, what it connotes, and and role it plays in philosophical thinking.
Science Communication
Science communication is an integral part of my research. The public understanding of science plays a significant role since political legislation is often spurred by public action. I performed literature reviews to understand the theories behind the public communication of science and technology. I specifically focused on the role that the concept of objectivity plays in science communication.
Sociology
Much of my work involved looking at the roles of the U.S. Geological Survey (as a science agency, the Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Reclamation (management agencies) in my unfolding case study in the Klamath Basin. Sociological methodologies like historical and organization analysis gave me the ability to assess the mission statement and code of ethics at the Survey and other agencies, closely examine the timeline of events that have led to the current state of affairs in the Klamath Basin, and explore in what ways objectivity is touted, what it is understood to represent, and how it may be pushed aside in certain situations or by different agencies.
Political Science
I needed to be comfortable functioning in the world of policy. Most of my work involved close readings and synthesis of legislation pertaining to the Klamath Basin water controversy. I focused on key sections of the three agreements under the Klamath Settlement Decision to gain a greater understanding of the role of each agreement. In addition I looked closely at the process that the act must go though in order for it to be passed by Congress. This included focusing in on how the Environmental Impact Statement was produced under the National Environmental Policy Act.