What is the difference between a method and a procedure?

Answer 1

A procedure is a set of prescribed actions or events that must be enacted or take place to achieve a certain result. A method is a style or set of assumptions with which one acts or achieves a goal. The scientific method, for example, is a set of actions that do not necessarily need to be followed so long as the basic assumptions behind the method are adhered. A recipe is an example of a procedure, meant to be followed exactly as prescribed.

Procedures and Methods in ProgrammingAssuming you are speaking about programming languages here. The term Method is used almost exclusively to refer to Object Oriented design. In a sense, a method is a specific type of procedure. For example, any discrete block of reusable code could be referred to as a procedure. In Object Oriented design, a Class contains Properties (essentially data elements) and Methods (procedures executed on those elements, like Get, Set, operator overloads for addition or subtraction, print, etc.) Unfortunately, every school of programming wants to have its own unique jargon. So there are way too many words to describe things that are functionally equivalent. More Information:Method refers to the way of solving a problem. Procedure on the other hand does not really refers to the way of solving a problem. There is usually a confusion here, when we say, 'the solution to this problem is to follow the procedure given'. However, we should always bear in mind that procedure only refers to a fixed pattern or way of doing things. It may involves many steps during its execution.

Example: 'You must first complete A before proceeding to B and then C.'

When we say the method of solving a problem is to complete A, then follow by B and C, we are actually referring to procedure. Method thus covers the whole procedure of doing things.

Example, 'The method of solving this problem is to follow this procedure.'

From the above, we can see that method is wider in scope than procedure and procedure is only a subset of method.

Method can either be a generalized concept or a fixed way of doing things whereas procedure is always fixed and is never generalized. The following example illustrates that method can be a generalized concept.

'The only method (way) of becoming rich is to work very hard.' In this example, we cannot substitute the word method with procedure. Otherwise, it will sounds strange and does not make sense: 'The procedure of getting rich is to work very hard'.

A method may not be tried or tested before. It can be just an idea that has not been put to test. Thus, the end result of method may or may not work. Procedure on the other hand is usually formed only after being tried or tested. Procedure can be quite complicated and involves many steps of doing things. Example, the procedure of performing a surgery. The process has to be tried and tested to confirm that it can works in order to become a procedure to be followed in future practices.

Answer 2

A procedure is a sub section of the method.

It is a detailed description of the steps involved in conducting the investigation in a logical sequence. It includes the role of the experimenter, how the IV was manipulated and instructions given to participants.