Based on my knowledge, I think Ontology can be regarded as a question: How we see reality in this world? A concept related to ontology is “conceptualization", which is an abstract simplified view of our reality.

For example, In the real world, there are some people who choose a lifestyle that avoids the digital society, which means refusing to use their mobiles, refusing to use software such as ins and facebook, and thinking that over-reliance on mobile phone use is a negative phenomenon. This is a reality, and we can use “digital detox” to conceptualize it.

1.“knowing that” (knowing the truth of propositions).

2.“knowing how” (understanding how to perform certain actions)

3.“knowing by acquaintance” (directly perceiving an object, being familiar with it, or otherwise coming into contact with it).

Epistemology is crucial for methodological choices and data interpretation in tourism research. It not only influences the type of data and research methods researchers choose, but also how they interpret the data. For example, a positivist may seek to test hypotheses through statistical analyses, whereas an interpretivist may be more concerned with understanding the diverse experiences of tourists in different cultural contexts. Epistemology is also closely linked to ontology, and together they form a theoretical framework for researchers, guiding how they view the world and conduct research.

Methodology is key to the disciplining of tourism research, both from the perspective of tourism research and the practice of tourism activities and tourism. Methodology aims to clarify the nature, scope and mission of a discipline or field of study (Ye & Cai, 2009). Importance: the researcher needs to know how the data was obtained as the methodology chosen will affect the results and in turn how they are interpreted in the discussion section of the paper. Methodology plays an extremely important role in academic research as unreliable methods can produce unreliable results, thus undermining the value of the researcher's analysis of the findings.

Methodologies in Tourism Research

1. Quantitative Research Methods

Survey research: questionnaires or surveys are used to collect large amounts of data for analysing tourist behaviour, preferences or trends.

1.1.Statistical analysis: the use of various statistical tools to analyse data, such as regression analysis and analysis of variance.

1.2.Experimental design: experiments are conducted in a controlled environment to test the effect of specific variables on tourist behaviour.

2.Qualitative Research Methods

(1)Interviews: one-on-one or group interviews to explore in-depth personal views, feelings and experiences.

(2)Case studies: in-depth studies of specific cases, such as particular destinations, events or tourism businesses.

(3)Ethnographic research: in-depth understanding of tourism phenomena in a specific culture or community through long-term observation and participation.

3.Mixed Methods

Combining quantitative and qualitative methods to gain a more comprehensive perspective. For example, conducting a quantitative survey followed by qualitative interviews to gain insight into certain findings.

3.1.Participatory Research

Action research: where the researcher works with participants to engage in practical problem solving or practice improvement.

3.2Community engagement research: working with community members to focus on community development and sustainable tourism practices.

4.Literature Research

A systematic review and analysis of existing literature to establish a theoretical framework or context.

5.Choice of Methodology

The choice of methodology depends on a number of factors:

Nature of the research question: is it exploratory, descriptive or interpretive?

6.Objectives of the research: is it aimed at measurement, prediction, understanding of deeper meaning, or developing theory?

7.Resources available: availability of time, money and technology.

8.Skills and preferences of the researcher: the researcher's expertise and familiarity with the particular methodology.

Importance of methodology

The methodology of tourism research not only determines how data is collected and analysed, but also influences the interpretation and validity of the findings. An appropriate methodology can help the researcher to answer the research questions effectively while ensuring the reliability and validity of the study. Therefore, selecting and applying an appropriate methodology is a crucial step in conducting tourism research.